Kamikaze
by BlackIrisZero
Summary: Sakura's entire world changed with the arrival of a new student - labeled as a delinquent brawler, loathed by the city who treated him like an outcast - just who is Naruto Uzumaki? Her normal school life has changed to a fight for very their survival.
1. The Fight Begins

_A/N: This story has elements I believe everyone can enjoy - Action/Adventure/Romance/Drama_. Readers need to be very patient when reading this. It may come off as slow from the beginning but thing begin to pick up shortly afterwards. There will be several Arcs - that will be marked - each with a different focus, antagonist and new main character (No OCs).  
><em>_

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><p><em>o-o-o<em>

_The Fight Begins_

_o-o-o_

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><p>He could feel his palms getting sweaty. He slapped his face few times to occupy them for a moment. The underground fight clubs that he had been to, ranged from city to city but this one was famous for its dirty and underhanded fighters. Many of the fighters here occupied more than half of the available rooms in the hospitals (exaggerated).<p>

Just a few seconds from now he would be facing the toughest fighter in the fight club. He didn't know the guy's name. Heck, he didn't even know what the guy looked like but all he knew was that he was good. He was the undefeated champion for 3 years running. No one could stop him. He was the one who put more than half of the fighters in the hospital.

"Now, for our challenger who came all this way for a decent fight, give it up for _Kagemaru_!" The announcer screamed his name and all the previous tension he was feeling seemed to fade to the back of his mind. Putting his most confident grin, Kagemaru stepped forward. When the crowd cheered, all the fear in his oversized body simply disappeared.

"That's right! _Kagemaru_ is ready to rock and roll!" He roared, strutting into the ring of viewers.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. It is this announcer's pleasure to present our undefeated street fighting champion," He paused to build up suspense, "_Kamikaze_!" A roar rang out among the crowd that was near deafening, much louder than when they screamed for Kagemaru.

"Kaze! Kaze! _Kamikaze_!"

In the crowd, people moved and shuffled their feet revealing Kagemaru's hardest fight yet. He steeled his will and readied to see a large man with battle scars all of his body proving how much of an accomplished warrior he was. He could feel that previous anxiety building up once more. But the mature champion fighter he had expected would never come. Out of the crowd a boy, much younger than he was, wearing nothing but a black vest, a silver dog tag and onyx pants appeared in the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here we have our first two combatants for the night!"

"What? This isn't a Joke?" Kagemaru was honestly confused, he couldn't fight a kid.

"Oh it's no joke." The announcer chuckled "Give it your all or else by the end of the night you'll be in a stretcher I'm afraid."

"Fine then! Kagemaru will defeat this 'so called' undefeated champion named Kamikaze and show you all just how much better Kagemaru is."

The boy simply shifted his large hands through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. He glared at Kagemaru for only a moment before his eyes fell onto the crowd.

"Oh did I frighten the little boy? I don't blame you. Even Kagemaru frightens himself some-"

"Will you just shut up and fight?" The boy remarked coldly.

The boy's remark wasn't the thing that angered Kagemaru but the uninterested stare the boy was giving him. He didn't look into the crowd because he was scared; he looked because he found something better to see in the crowd. _It's like he is saying I'm wasting his time!_

When the bell rang, Kagemaru came out ready. Kamikaze on the other hand seemed a little less enthusiastic. Kagemaru had no idea what this boy's fighting style was, but still he felt more than prepared for a fight. Besides what could a boy do to Kagemaru? He was roughly twice the boy's age and size. If anything Kagemaru could have crushed him like an ant.

"Kagemaru is going to crush you little one!"

It was a sudden forward charge; he was going to finish this quickly. Kagemaru raised his arm as high as he could and slammed it down onto the boy. Still giving off the unimpressed look in his eyes, the boy easily side stepped avoiding the attack completely. Kagemaru followed up with a horizontal chop, which the boy easily ducked following up with a brutal kick to Kagemaru's ribs.

Immediately after the boys kick, he felt the boy step on his bent knee (as Kagemaru bent over in pain) with his hands clasping tightly around his head pulling him down followed by a stinging pain in his head, throat and chest. Kagemaru shook his head, realizing the boy kneed him multiple times before he kicked off his chest.

Kagemaru charged once more. The boy quickly rolled out of the way and delivered three destructive blows to Kagemaru's ribs. Kagemaru felt like his ribs were breaking in two. His strikes were too precise for him to be merely counter attacking. The boy had been aiming for his ribs on purpose! He ignored his aching ribs and noticed a metallic tower directly behind the crowd.

"Perfect!"

Kagemaru imitated his first punch and again the boy dodged to the right. Kagemaru grinned. It was a feint. When the boy dodged, he spun his wrist and grabbed the boy's vest and pulled him in for a series of blows to his abdomen and chest. As a finisher to his blows, with his final punch he lifted the boy into the air and threw him as hard as he could towards the pole. The inner ring of people cleared the way leaving the boy to hit his back on the hard floor.

"Gah!" He groaned in pain as he felt the full impact.

"You're good. But you aren't better than Kagemaru!"

With a hand on his back the boy groggily got up clearly in pain, only to be tackled by Kagemaru as he rushed straight for the tower. The outer ring crowd in the way immediately rushed out of Kagemaru's way before they got hurt. The boy didn't resist. He waited until he had been 5 feet away from the tower before he began his counter attack.

"You thought I would go down so easily?" The boy scoffed angrily.

He gathered the strength in his leg and slammed it on Kagemaru's weakened ribs which caused him to momentarily loosen his grip on him. The boy wasn't done there, he held the wrist of his left hand and smashed his left elbow at the back of kagemaru's neck causing him to let go of the Boy completely.

"What?" Kagemaru's entire body wouldn't stop shaking after that blow. It was like he was going through shell shock. "What's going on with my body?" This boy knew what he was doing; he knew exactly where to strike to get the results he wanted.

The boy pulled himself onto Kagemaru's back and kicked off shooting Kagemaru straight into the metallic tower. With a loud clunk, his skull came into contact with the pole which left the Kagemaru dazed and in pain. Kagemaru felt himself tipping backwards but before he could fall he felt the boy's hands cover his face.

"Good night." The boy said coldly as he slammed Kagemaru's head into the ground below. Even with his aching head and throbbing ribs, Kagemaru wasn't done yet. He couldn't let some punk kid beat him so easily! But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get up.

"Don't bother. I hit the back of your neck on purpose. It's an awesome technique I learned." The boy cracked his neck "I just temporarily paralyzed you."

"What? That's cheating!"

"Cheating? This is a fight club. There are no rules in street fighting."

It was there that the crowd burst into fits of cheers and praise. The crowd chanted Kamikaze's name as he began walking away. Kagemaru never felt more cheated in his life. There was no way he was going to let the little runt get away with it. The boy was deeply surprised at what Kagemaru did next. He grabbed the closest thing to his hand and got up with a loud groan. Kagemaru gathered the remaining strength in his hand and threw the item, which happened to be a sharp stone at the boy before his body clamped up and he fell onto the floor. The boy immediately pulled his face out of the way only to have the rock graze his face.

"Effect took longer because of your _fat_ _hide_," The boy scowled wiping the loose trail of blood that trickled down his cheek.

"Shut up! Kagemaru is not fat! He is big boned!" Kagemaru retorted. Even though he was paralyzed he could have still talked all he wanted. This was probably the only bad side-effect of the technique.

"Same difference." The boy sighed, how was he going to explain the cut on his cheek? Just then the crowd showed their excitement by screaming and chanting his name louder and louder. The boy scratched his head and made his way to the announcer to collect what was rightfully his. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.

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><p><em>This is the pilot chapter. Thoughts about what you read throughout the story would be greatly appreciated. Tells me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong.<br>_


	2. A New Dawn

_| INTRODUCTION ARC |_

___Who is Naruto Uzumaki? ___

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><p><em>0~o~0<em>

_A New Dawn  
><em>

_0~o~0_

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><p>The light shone through the window, brightening the dim room and striking the face of a small girl who slept soundly on her bed. She slowly opened her jade green eyes trying to register the familiar room with a huge wooden dresser, a small television, a dirty desk with books piled up on top of it.<p>

After a long sigh she groggily got up and sat on the edge of the bed, her rose pink hair spread across it. She stood up slowly and walked towards the foggy glass window. As she looked down at the busy city streets; a familiar chill crawled up her spine. As much as she loved the city, it was nothing compared to feel of the crisp clean air of the countryside.

"It has everything a young girl needs, anyway." She claimed.

_Yeah, right._

The eldest daughter, Sakura Haruno (16) thought on her first glance of the city. There were malls, cinemas, hair salons and beauty parlors galore. It should have made any girl happy to be there. Just not her.

_Well it's not like I was into those things anyway. _

Sakura sighed. As much as she would love to be more 'girly', her usual interests and personality simply wouldn't allow it. She never fit in with 'crowd' because she always stood out for one reason or the other. 'An unreachable beauty' as the boys would address her and a 'Ugly treacherous she-whore' by the girls. Those were the names she used to be called (Still called by a few).

_I never asked for any of that._

She just wished she could have a least one guy friend that wasn't constantly hitting on her or one girlfriend that wouldn't backstab her. School wasn't exactly the most comfortable place for her before Konohagakure High.

At first she was scared to move to a new school but she soon found that the people were amazing. They were saints people compared to her last batch of friends in middle school who constantly tried ruin her already bad reputation. She could actually hold a conversation with her new friends and they actually seemed to care about what she thought and felt. They actually gave her school and social life meaning.

_Well better get to school_.

She made her way to her overly sized closet and got into her school uniform as quickly as she could. In no time flat she made her way down the stairs, completely dressed.

"Bed head." Her sister Hana (12) mocked as she ran out the front door. Sakura glanced over to see her mother in the car outside. In the corner of her eye, she could see Hana stick her tongue out at Sakura as she got into the car.

"Breakfast is on the table dear. Hurry before you're late for school! Love you Hun!" Her mother shouted as she smiled widely. She blew a kiss before she sped off onto the road.

"Always busy that woman." Sakura chuckled to herself as she headed to the kitchen.

After she finished her breakfast she made her way to her car, a cherry pink Toyota Paseo convertible. She parked at her usual spot once she got to school. Making sure she had her stuff, and her car locked she made her way in. Sakura noticed the lack of attention she was getting today.

_People finally stopped staring at me! It took 2 months for that to happen._

Today was so much different than the first day she came to the school. Everyone stared when she parked her car for the first time. Maybe it was the fact that her newish Toyota stood out from the old cars that the other teens had.

Maybe the fact that her plain and depressed demeanor contrasted with everyone else's lively faces. Whatever it was it attracted a lot of attention. Something she hated.

As she made her way through the school for the first time, people talked. Not to her, but about her. Eventually as time pasted they talked to her but only a few made a lasting impression on her. She ignored the guys who were trying to hit on her and the so called "hot" girls of the school that had practically every boy pining after them…just so happened to be her best friends.

"Sakura! Did you hear the news?" Sakura jumped. She hadn't noticed the girl at all when she entered the classroom.

It was then that she noticed that three girls were seated on the desks just next to the classroom door. The taller of the three, Ino Yamanaka was famous around the school campus as miss popular 'the princess of the school'. That was probably because she was filthy rich but she wasn't snobby like the other rich girls she knew. Underneath the princess, there was a caring and lovable girl who earnestly wanted to make people happy.

"What news?" Sakura replied nervously; taken aback by the girl's sudden appearance.

"There is new student in the school!" the other girl, Tenten was literally jumping in her seat "And guess what: it's a guy and they say he is H-O-T!"

Very much unlike Ino, Tenten's brunette hair was short (and tied into twin ponytails). However, Tenten was just as famous around the school not solely on her looks but her personality. To put it bluntly, Tenten was a 'raging feminist' as defined by the boys. She was a firm believer that anything a man could do a girl could do as well which gained her a lot of admiration from the girls (which were usually in the form of love letters). Though she didn't want to become as 'fierce' as Tenten, but she wanted that vigor that she seemed to emit every few seconds.

"Aren't you going to tell her about _that_?" The third and final member of the trio spoke up. Hinata Hyuga, wasn't a girl of much words but a girl of meaning. She was meek and inward with mostly everything she did but she was a kind girl at heart. She was closest thing to a female friend Sakura had (next to Ino). They did everything together. Whether it be homework or talking about boys (something Sakura rarely does).

"That?" Sakura asked.

"Well…there is a rumor going around that he is bad news. You know, the bad boy tough guy who wants to prove to the world how strong he is." Ino replied with a shrug.

"Oh, that's great." Sakura replied lacking the excitement shown by the other girls.

"Oh come on! Show more enthusiasm than that!" Tenten grabbed Sakura's hands and began shaking her. Sakura giggled and returned the favor until TenTen admitted defeat.

It was there that the chatter in the classroom got to her ears.

The room was crowded with chit-chat about the new student. The guys seemed to be frustrated that there was more competition for the girls and the girls seemed positively ecstatic over the whole idea. Sakura didn't really care about the new student.

_It's not like he will notice me. He will probably be all over Ino or Tenten or Hinata in a heartbeat._

Everyone in the class seemed rowdier than the next. They all seemed to be in one giant circle talking about the same thing.

'_I heard he beat down an entire biker gang for looking at him wrong!_'

'_Doesn't that mean that he is like totally buff?'_

'_I heard he got rid of an entire gang without taking even a scratch.'_

'_Isn't he kind of dangerous?"_

"Will all of you just be quiet?" A cool voice retorted from the back of the class.

"Jealousy? I would have never guessed coming from you." Ino replied with a sly grin on her face.

"Don't waste your breath." The boy looked away clearly disinterested in anything the class had to offer "You're all too loud. Simple as that."

Everyone glared at him but he shrugged it off like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You could stand to me a little nicer, Uchiha." Sakura spoke out "Who knows? People might actually start to like you."

"I don't need you or anyone else's affection."

Sasuke Uchiha was the frozen tundra of Konohagakure High. He was as cold as they could possibly get. He never showed emotion and he never seemed interested in anything but himself. But even still, the girls were fawning over him night and day because (even Sakura had to admit) that he was handsome. She could have sworn that even the female teachers felt woozy when he glared at them.

Sakura didn't know much else about him. He never spoke about his personal life. Quite frankly, he barely spoke at all. He just kept to himself most of the time. The only thing else she knew about him as that he dated half the girls in the school (including Ino) only to break up with them a week later. Ino insisted (begged) Sakura not to date him because she would be the one getting hurt. Since Ino was crying at the time she listened.

"Ok! Ok! Settle down!" The teacher, Iruka Umino barked after coming into the class "Everyone get to your seats!" The crowd broke up as everyone scattered to their seats.

"Now I assume you all must have heard of the new student." The class' spirit had mixed feelings at the mention of 'new student'. Whether he was a scary gangster or a brawling freak show.

"He transferred out of his last school and had difficulties finding another one. So I want all of you to make him feel as comfortable as possible." He broke off looking towards the door.

"Now would come in and please introduce yourself?"

"Oh here he comes!" Ino whispered.

_I bet all those rumors were just rumors. I bet he isn't even buff maybe. Just a nerd or something. Life just plays that kind of trick on you sometimes. _

When the person entered the room, the entire class became silent. It was a boy, no older than Sakura. He faced the class with indifferent look on his face as he waved shortly.

"Hey, name's Naruto Uzumaki."

He had creamy white skin which was complemented by six whiskers (scars?) on either side of his face. His blonde hair, short and spike seemed to meld well with his amazing complexion and eyes. His eyes were deep blue to the point of being exactly similar to a sapphire. These cerulean orbs captured most of the classes' attention with their indifferent gaze. He wasn't as good looking as Sasuke but he came to a close second. He was lean and had a height that was similar to Sasuke's. On his face, Sakura could have seen a small bandage probably to cover up some bruise of his.

"Iruka-sensei, can I take my seat now?" he asked in a tired tone, his deep, lazy voice rang through Sakura's ears. "Or should I stay here and be stared at?"

"Yes you can. Take your seat in the back class has started." The teacher replied.

"Hai."

He began walking to his seat ignoring the intense stares of indifference and confusion. All the teens gazed at him in pure stupor; they were shocked at his visage while others seemed entranced. He glanced to the corner of his eyes and there he stood in place with an indescribable smile on his face. But once his eyes fell onto a certain person a scowl appeared before he walked to his seat.

"Sasuke."

"Naruto."

The classes' collective eyes opened wide with shock. Sasuke actually had people he addressed by their first name? They were that close already? And the way he called their teacher, Iruka-sensei had an air of familiarity behind it. They knew each other. In their minds, the class exploded with questions about the new kid and his relationship with Sasuke. The class followed his every movement until the teacher shouted 'Look at the board!'

The atmosphere during class was different; everyone sneaked a peak at the new kid at any little chance they got regardless of what the teacher said. Naruto seemed lost in thought during the entire class and occasionally glanced towards the teacher. Every so often he would stare at the object that caught his attention before he got in his seat; Sakura.

She was well aware of the look he gave her; she couldn't help but feel a shiver crawl up her spine. But no matter how much she thought of it, she couldn't understand why she blushed pink at that moment. Throughout the rest of class she tried to ignore the fact that she was being stared at.

"Well that's it for today." The teacher spoke out after the bell rang. "Remember the paper due on Friday." He added before he left the classroom.

As soon as the teacher left, the entire class crowded around Naruto's desk as if it was an automatic reaction. They shot a barrage of questions and he took his time answering each one nonchalantly.

"Hey how much to you bench?"

"About 200 lbs."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"Would you like to join the baseball team?"

"Nah."

"How did you get those scars?"

"They aren't scars. It's a birth mark."

"Seriously?"

"Pretty awesome, I know." He grinned.

'How old are you?'

"17."

"How do you know Uchiha?" Everyone wanted to ask that question first but they hesitated. This brave boy did what no one else could. But still his answer would forever go unanswered.

"That is none of your business. It's between me and him." From the corner of the room, Sasuke gave out an aura of pure frozen malice.

"You don't have to be so rude about it." Naruto defended.

"I do. Otherwise he and the others who want to know would get the idea that it's _none of their business_."

"Maybe but you could have done it without the harshness."

"And here I thought you knew me."

"I do know you. I know more about you than anyone here."

"Whatever." Sasuke shrugged. Arguing would have been too troublesome anyway.

"Well." A shrill voice stood out from the rest. _Oh_ _here we go again. She is getting her princess on._ Sakura inwardly sighed.

"It's nice to meet you Naruto. My name's Ino." She smiled sweetly, extending her hand to him.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," He said as he gave her a blank stare ignoring her hand completely. The classroom grew cold for a second. This single boy had done what no other boy had done in the class (besides Sasuke). Ino hid her disappointment with a small smile as she pulled her hand back. That wasn't enough to keep her down.

"Would you like me to show you around the school?"

_She wanted you to kiss it I suppose…every other boy has. _Sakura thought to herself, sinking back into her chair.

"That would be useful." Ino's face lit up like a Christmas tree "But not with you. I want her." He pointed to the only girl who wasn't in the crowd. Ino's smile turned into a frown. Naruto was pointing at no other than Sakura, who just sat there with her jaw dropped slightly.

"...what?"

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><p><em>Not much of a cliffhanger but it does it's job.<em>

_Edit: Fixed a few plot holes.  
><em>


	3. Signs

_A/N: This chapter is mainly here to show some of the relationships the characters have. _

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><p><em>o-o-o<br>_

_Signs_

_o-o-o  
><em>

"What? Me?" She answered automatically, as everyone's gaze turned to her.

"Yes. You." He got up and walked over to her "Unless of course, you do not want to…" his voice trailed off.

"Huh? Umm…sure!" she shot up from her sit out of pure anxiety.

"Great!" His face somewhat brightened "Ladies first," Sakura walked out of the class as Naruto followed leaving the classroom of shocked adolescents behind.

Along their little tour, Sakura paused turning her head inspecting her surroundings. "Is it me, or is everyone staring at us?"

"Hmm? I hadn't noticed," he looked around "Do we have something on our faces?" he asked chuckling a bit.

"Ugh, I knew it." She groaned, hiding her face with her hands.

She knew that walking around with Naruto would attract attention but not the whole school. She had only walked down the hall after coming out of the class and everyone's eyes glanced in her direction or to put it more precisely, Naruto's. Sakura tried to ignore the stares but her cheeks flushed pink as she tried to hide behind him. Naruto just kept his cool as he walked through the hall ignoring all that surrounded him besides Sakura.

"I still don't know your name," Naruto said still facing his front.

"Ah," _I haven't even told him my name yet! How could I miss that?_ "Umm my name's Sakura, Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura Haruno…" He muttered her name as he closed his eyes. The way he said it filled her with an air of familiarity. Had she met him before? "Nice to meet you, I hope we can see more of each other in the future." he offered his hand to her.

"Ah," she flushed pink again the way he had said that made it seem like he meant something more, romantic "Yeah," she grabbed his hand; it was much larger than hers and rough but it was warm.

"Great!" He grinned "Now could I have my hand back or are you not done with it yet?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was just…" she instinctively let go of his hand.

"It's ok," he stopped "So how are we going to do this?"

"Oh right! The tour…um…." She looked around "Where should we start? How about the cafeteria but I'm sure that's packed right now."

"Oh I don't mind," he smiled "So where is it?"

"Oh it's over here, follow me" she began walking and Naruto followed her anywhere she would go. First they walked into the overly crowded cafeteria, the place was filled with people all sitting at chairs chatting the day away.

"Wow this place is packed," remarked Naruto "Where do you usually sit, Sakura-chan?"

"Sakura-chan?"

"Oops. I hope you don't mind. Here, to make up for it you can call me Naruto." He smiled nervously "No kun attached."

Weird. Usually everyone called her Haruno-chan at first, but he was a brave kid for going straight for her first name. But she liked him, so she guessed it was ok. "It's ok. It's just a bit weird to call someone by their first name when you just met them."

"Yeah I know. Sorry, I called you that in my head and it just came out."

"It's fine I don't mind, Naruto." It felt weird for her too but she'd get used to it eventually. "To answer your question, I just sit wherever Ino, Hinata or Tenten are."

"Do you usually just follow them around?" he turned to her.

"Well yeah their my best friends so I don't mind," she looked over her shoulder "Well speaking of the devil, here's Tenten now."

A girl with Chinese buns skipped down the hall humming to herself until she spotted Sakura and Naruto. She walked up to the two and said "Hey Sakura, how's your time with Naruto? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"What are you talking about, we just left the classroom!"

"Details details," she looked up to Naruto who just smiled back "Nice to meet you, Uzumaki-kun my name's Tenten, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Despite the rumors and what the guys called her, she was still nice to the general male student body unless they insulted women around her.

"Nice to meet you."

"Just call me Tenten."

"Well I'll leave you two alone," she giggled "See you in class Sakura!" she skipped off down the hall.

"That's Tenten, she can be a bit eccentric but she is a great friend." Sakura sighed.

"Eccentric? That's always interesting."

Sakura knew she wasn't eccentric in the slightest bit. _He likes eccentric girls. Well I'm already out of his strike range. Oh well. _She sighed and then turned around.

"Come on the tour isn't done,"

Naruto followed her. The next stop was the library, then the computer room, bathrooms and the principal's office. Sakura made a note that no one would enjoy being sent to the principal's office; she was a very strict woman who didn't like any one not even most of the teachers.

While they walked pass the principal's office, a tall woman came out of the office, stopped and glared heavily at Naruto. For a woman in her fifties, she was a top notch beauty (with huge breasts). Naruto retuned her gaze; Sakura looked between the two wondering if they met each other before. The hateful glares they were giving each other wasn't natural it's like when a mongoose is staring straight at a snake.

"Good day, Sakura and _Naruto_," Principal Tsunade spoke out in an angry tone on the mention of Naruto's name.

"You too Principal Tsunade," Sakura replied politely.

"You too, Baa-chan."

Tsunade gave Naruto a _'Don't call me that in public'_ glare.

Naruto gave a _'I can call you what the hell ever I want'_ glare.

Tsunade gave a '_If you call me that one more time, I'll stick a knife so far up your ass you'll be able to cut people with your tongue_' glare. Naruto cringed.

"Principal Tsunade…" he looked away.

"I see we understand each other." She walked away from the two teens. "Stay out of trouble you two and study hard."

"She needs to lighten up…sheesh." Naruto wiped the trail of sweat coming down from his forehead. Sakura looked confused. She had no idea what kind of exchange that was. Naruto shivered until Sakura spoke out.

"You two know each other?"

"I guess you can say that. I've known her since I was a kid. She hasn't changed…at all." Naruto sighed, turning to face Sakura (who was still confused).

"Do you know her? She calls you by your first name so…"

"She is a family friend. She often comes to my house to gam- I mean play a few card games with my father and his friends."

"I see." He looked back to Tsunade and shook his head. "Now, where to next?"

"Oh, the teachers staff room then the gym," Sakura turned and continued to walk down the hall with Naruto close behind.

_What was that all about?_

After 5 minutes of walking the bell rang.

"Well this sucks." he said flatly "Would you mind showing me the rest of school after class? I would really appreciate it," he flashed his brilliant white teeth. He sure did that a lot. He must have been a pretty happy guy. But the cold expression he had when he first entered the class told her otherwise.

"Sure I don't mind," she smiled "But can I ask you a question?" she turned around and began to walk to class.

"Shoot," he turned and walked besides her.

"Why did you choose me to show you around the school?" that question had been on her mind for a while now "I mean Ino was the one who suggested it."

"Well I don't want to sound to forward or anything but let's just say I'm drawn to you."

"That's a strange thing to say to someone you've just met."

"I can't really explain it to you but when I saw you I knew you were the one," he chuckled "To show me around I mean."

"There must have been something about me which you were drawn to then?"

"I guess you can say that."

"So what is it about me that 'draws' you in?"

"I'm not telling you," he chuckled.

"Aww come on," she whined, he just shook his head.

She pouted as the two walked back to class. They got to the class in time for the teacher to arrive a few seconds afterwards. Throughout the next few classes Sakura could hardly focus on her work, all she could think about was what Naruto said '_I'm drawn to you' _she contemplated on this throughout her classes.

_What did he mean? What could he have possibly meant by that? Does he like me? But Ino was so forward with him and he said he liked girls like Tenten._

"Hey," a voice which resembled Naruto's own rang through Sakura's head as she was in deep thought "Hey!"

"Huh? What? Naruto?" she looked up to see Naruto waving his hands in front of her face.

"Whoa, you really spaced out there," she looked around to notice that everyone had disappeared "The bell to go home rang 10 minutes ago."

"What? Really? I'm sorry I didn't notice!" she shot up from her sit.

"It's ok, can we go now?"

"Sure," she picked up her books and bag and walked out the class Naruto close behind. Suddenly, Naruto stopped in his tracks when his phone vibrated.

"Hold on." When he looked at the caller his eyes darken which shook Sakura slightly. She didn't think that Naruto was capable of a Sasuke level glare."Troublesome people."

"You ok? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"…I need to go, something came up. Can we do this tomorrow?"

"Huh? Sure, but…" before she could finish Naruto dashed off into the hall.

"I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!" and with that he disappeared.

* * *

><p>Get away from her!<p>

_Get out of here you brute! _

Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you!

_She was with you that's reason enough!_

_You monster!_

* * *

><p>"Hey Sakura, are you ok?" A concerned voiced rang through Sakura's mind. She looked up and noticed that Hinata face was mere inches from hers which caused her to jumped back in her seat.<p>

"Huh? I'm fine, why?" Sakura replied quickly snapping out of her daze.

"You look tired. Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Well not so much. Let's just say I had a bad dream," _More like a horrid nightmare. _"Do I look that bad?"

"You look like you got ran over by a truck," she combed Sakura's hair with her hand "What was your nightmare about? It must have been horrible."

"It was a weird dream. I don't know why but people were calling me a monster," she groaned.

"A Monster?" he laughed "Were you watching scary movies again? You know how much they freak you out."

"Yeah I'll be careful and avoid them next time," she smiled trying to hide her anxiety.

She could barely get a wink of sleep last night. Images of shouting people flashed through her head. It was her dream all over again. In them she would always get flashes of people trying to hurt her but there was always a voice that tried to help but in the end it couldn't do anything. There were too many people. It wasn't the first time it happened but it was the most recent since her last one which was about a year ago.

"Hey the bell is about to ring for homeroom so where's the new guy?" Ino asked, slightly irritated.

"I don't know, why are you asking me?" Sakura looked up to her.

"Well you're the one he is interested in so…" she stopped when he saw Sakura's half blushed- half irritated face.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Well he did handpick you out of all the other girls in the class to show him around the school." Hinata added. _Traitor._

"So? He must have had a reason for it or something. Maybe I just stood out because I wasn't in the crowd,"

"Maybe, but still-" Ino protested but Sakura just shot her a glare "Ok ok."

"Like I said I just stood out."

"I still think he is interested, you could tell by the way he looks at you. That's all I'm saying," she finished as she sat down and began chatting with Tenten. She remembered the way he stared at her when he first saw her and she turned a light shade of pink.

"Morning all," a smooth voice greeted the class from the front door "Sorry I'm late, I slept in" Naruto entered the classroom scratching his head like he had just woke up. Sakura looked to his face and noticed that he had another bandage on the other side of his face.

"Oh Naruto you finally came," shouted Shinobu Kurosaki, as she raced across the room to talk to Naruto as did the other girls in the class. One or two guys also walked up to him. The day began with all of them asking Naruto random questions about himself.

Soon afterwards the teacher entered the class and ordered everyone to their seats. Naruto walked by Sakura and grinned as he looked at her face; she returned a smile of her own then turned her head to teacher. The rest of the day was no different from the day before; Naruto barely paid attention to class while he sometimes glanced over to Sakura (and glared at Sasuke). She would have to ask him about his relationship with him (without Sasuke around of course). Sakura tried to pay attention to class but due to her fatigue it was hard for her to stay awake.

During lunch, Naruto walked up to her ignoring the rest of the class and asked "Hey Sakura-chan, would you mind having lunch with me?"

Again like yesterday the classed stared in stupor but Sakura was too tired to be shocked so she simply nodded and got up from her seat. She could hear the whispers of her classmates on her way out.

'Did he just call her Sakura-chan?'

'Did their relationship progress so far in one day?'

'Obviously they like each other. It's only a matter of time.'

She was going to hit Ino for that last comment.

* * *

><p>They made their way through the hall and too the cafeteria. They both bought their lunches Naruto bought a box of milk and ham sandwich and Sakura bought herself a single soda.<p>

"Hey you ok? You look…dead," Naruto asked worriedly.

"Oh I'm fine, just a bit tired," she yawned "I had a nightmare that kept me up all night."

"What kind of nightmare was that?" he looked closely at her "You look like you got run over by a truck."

"I've been told," she managed a smile "Just a bad dream of people labeling me as a monster. Maybe this soda will give me enough energy to get through the day." she opened the soda and took a sip of it. Naruto looked at her in a curious manner before he answered.

"You a monster? Please" he said opened his milk and began to drink it. "Must have been someone else, maybe the guy or thing was behind you." When he raised his hand to drink, she noticed his left hand was covered in bandages.

"What's wrong with your hand?" she asked as she tried to grab his hand but he quickly blocked her.

"It's nothing. Uh, how about you have my sandwich? You need to eat," he grinned "I'll be back I need to, uh, do something." He got up and walked over to the trash bin. Sakura feeling a little irritated took a bite out of the sandwich Naruto offered.

"What's eating you dear? You look mad," Ino appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to Sakura.

"Oh it's nothing," Sakura sighed "Just Naruto, he's avoiding answering my questions." She pointed to Naruto's hand. He was busy doing God knows what at the trash bin.

"I'm sure he's just a bit shy dear. Males get embarrassed _quite_ easily when it comes to getting hurt."

"I guess," she replied taking another bite out of the sandwich. She looked over to see Naruto returning with a sandwich of his own in his mouth. He looked a little irritated causing Sakura to wonder why. He sat down on the opposite side of the table and looked over to Ino.

"Hello Naruto it's nice meeting you again," Ino said smoothly smiling delightfully.

"Yeah nice to meeting you too…err Ino was it?"

"Did you move to this city?"

"I've lived in this city for most of my life."

Naruto's attitude was different from his usual demeanor; he didn't smile or reply lazily. He was in a state of pure calmness, like he was holding his emotions back.

"So why did you transfer schools?"

"Personal reasons I don't really want to talk about." Naruto's eyes darkened for a split second. Too bad Ino got an eye of it.

"You look angry. Was it something I said? I'm sorry if I did…"Ino trailed off as she glanced at him from the edge of her eyes.

"No, you didn't do anything…" He paused.

"So what did you two do yesterday after school?" Ino asked, trying to remove the awkward atmosphere.

"Nothing really. Naruto had some emergency so he had to leave early," Sakura replied taking another sip out of her soda.

"What was the emergency?"

After that Naruto finally turned to face her. "It was a family issue," he smiled "Anyway have you sank your teeth into anything new today?"

"Nope it's all the same unwanted boys following me like a pack of hungry dogs," she sighed "I personally wish they would leave me alone."

"Wow those guys sound like a bunch of leeches," Naruto grinned. From the corner of his eye he could see a bunch of guys on the next table sending him the death glare for talking to their precious Ino.

After that the bell rang and that was the signal for the end of lunch time. The trio made their way to class. The math teacher, Asuma Sarutobi made his way into the class soon after; everyone groaned at his entrance. The rest of that afternoon went by quickly. As everyone got up to leave, Naruto called Sakura who was just packing her bag to go home.

"Aw don't tell me you forgot already?"

"No I didn't. I was just about to come over to you." she lied; she had never been a good liar so Naruto saw straight through it. He just shook his head, picked up his bag and walked over to her.

"Sure you were," he said sarcastically "You're a bad liar you know that?"

"I can lie if I really tried you know."

That's when she noticed another person in the room. Sasuke had been there watching the two impassively.

"Naruto I hope you know what you're doing," He glared "You know how this is going to end if you get any closer."

"Don't." Naruto scoffed.

"Or did you forget about what happened to Gaara?" With his grim expression, he looked straight into Naruto's eyes. Naruto gritted his teeth so hard; Sakura swore that he was going to bleed.

"Think before you act, loser." With that Sasuke walked away.

"Naruto..." Sakura muttered.

"Let's go." He placed his arms around her shoulder "I'll treat you to ice-cream after this." He smiled sincerely.

"…sounds like a date." She smiled "Make it strawberry." She didn't want to ask Naruto what Sasuke meant, that might have made things more awkward than they were already. But she would ask about it soon and when she did she wanted some answers.

* * *

><p><em>Ominious warning from the school's ice prince, mysterious wounds and bruises. Just what does this kid do for a living? You'll all catch a glimpse in the next few chapters because this is when stuff gets real.<br>_


	4. Bonds

_A/N: As promised, Stuff gets heavy. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><em>o-o-o<br>_

_Bonds_

_o-o-o  
><em>

"So, uh, why are we here again?" Sakura asked taking in her surroundings.

"We are teenagers, it's what we do!" Ino answered automatically, as everyone's gaze turned to her. "What?"

"It's what _you_ do. Not us." Tenten replied dryly.

She like everyone here had been unknowingly dragged here by Ino. The girls found themselves in one of the newly established bars on the block, Kaleidoscope. Since the bar was fairly new, few adults came so the teens were free to hang out and have fun, within limits of course. They usually came here to party until they dropped. There were wall to wall teenagers either chatting the night away, dancing all over the place or just chilling next to the bar.

It all began with a simple call.

'_Get your best outfit and meet me in front of the Northern Bus stop near Kuro Fashion.'_

'_Huh?'_

'_Just meet me there!'_

'_Ino, I have home-work to finish up-'_

'_You can do it later!'_

'_It's due tomorrow!'_

'_Why are you doing your homework so late anyway?'_

'_I don't want to hear that from you! Have you even started on the report?' _

'_No idea what that is but anyway! See you there in 15 minutes! Ok Tenten? Bye!'_

"You have 10 seconds to intrigue me before I walk back out that door." Tenten threatened. If she had known she wouldn't have bothered to leave her house. She felt slightly out of place with her outfit. She wore a traditional sleeveless black linen Chinese dress with matching black pants.

"I'm not sure we should even be here. I mean it's a school night…" Hinata's voice trailed off. Her outfit comprised of a lavender and cream sleeveless shirt that more than tightly clung to her body with cream pants and her usual black heeled sandals.

"Come on guys! We don't live forever!" Ino's small slender body was covered with a sleeveless Ivory blouse with a cute black ribbon that stuck out in the front which hung over the medium length onyx skirt that she wore. She grabbed Hinata's hand and ran into the crowd of people regardless of Hinata's screaming to be let go.

"Commander, two of our fellow privates have gone down in the field of battle." Tenten sighed.

"Well since we're here. Might as well enjoy ourselves right?" Sakura smiled and Tenten's expression somewhat brightened.

"Fine but I'm leaving early. I'm still not done with my assignment."

* * *

><p>"Hey, look who's here." Tenten nudged Sakura.<p>

"Huh?"

"Over there!" Tenten pointed to a tall blonde, dressed in an opened black jacket with orange stripes running diagonally down the sides with a white shirt and black jeans. He took a sip of his drink and happily chatted away with the boy next to him. With his dark wavy hair, dark eyes and the menacing aura, Sakura could only identify the boy as Sasuke Uchiha. Meaning the blonde had to be Naruto.

"What are they doing here?"

"Hell if I know, but look Sasuke is leaving go talk to him!" Tenten nudged Sakura again.

"Wait why do I have to do that?"

"Come on, you know you're interested. He is too."

"I never said that!"

"You don't need to." Tenten, with a burst of strength, pushed Sakura towards the bar. Basically, Sakura had no warning or no hint to the shove. So it would be natural that she would trip over herself. Sakura could actually see that the floor was more than a few inches from her face. She instinctively closed her eyes, but seconds passed and the impact she had been expecting never came. Instead she found herself being held by large warm hands.

"Woah there, you ok?" A cool voice rang through her ears. When she looked up, her eyes met with two sapphires that could have only belonged to one person. Naruto lifted her gently until she regained her footing.

"Sakura-chan?" Surprised his orbs widened, but only for a short moment "Wait, you aren't drunk already are you?" He chuckled.

"Thanks," Sakura turned and shot a glare so powerful and fierce that everyone in her line of sight momentarily froze. Tenten give an apologetic hand sign before she disappeared into the crowd.

_"What the heck was that just now" A man from the crowd asked._

_"Dunno, but that scared the hell out of me."_

"And for your information, I don't drink. I just have a very nosey friend." Sakura sighed as she checked her outfit for any problems. Sakura wore a light rose-colored blouse with rose flowers adorning the bottom section, covered by a white jacket, with light blue jeans. Though she didn't have the girlish well-developed figures that the other girls had but she definitely had her own personal charms. Sakura looked up and noticed Naruto's gaze, blushing slightly.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I just thought you looked beautiful in that outfit," He turned away rubbing his nose with his finger to hide his embarrassment.

"Thank you."

"Do you want to sit with me? I don't have anyone else to talk to at the moment," He offered a seat next to his chair. Sakura thought, why not?

"Sure," Sakura gracious accepted and took a seat "So, Naruto what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He grinned.

"I asked first."

"Hai hai," He looked into the crowd for a few seconds before he found what he was looking for "Over there."

Sakura followed Naruto's finger and found herself looking at Sasuke Uchiha with a group of people. More specifically, a girl with a weird hair style that tried to snuggle up to Sasuke (he moved away), a slim boy with white hair and a rather large man with a docile look that gave the impression that he didn't want to be here. (You know who those three are.)

"Sasuke seemed stressed recently, so I brought him here to loosen up."

"But he totally ditched you to hang out with those guys."

"Those are his friends. He feels like himself when he's around them."

"Aren't they your friends too?"

"Nah, I don't really get along well with them. Especially that girl, she thinks I'm trying to steal Sasuke from her or something."

"You mean…"

"No! I don't swing that way!" Naruto blurted, noticing he was being stared at he lowered his voice "He knows I don't feel comfortable around them so he respects that."

"It's hard to imagine that he respects anyone," Sakura lowered her head on the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, he's always been like that. I kinda got use to it." Naruto took another sip of his drink. Sakura hoped it wasn't anything alcoholic.

"…hey," Sakura looked up to him meekly "What is your relationship with him anyway? You two must be close if you're doing all this for him."

"I knew this was coming," He smiled to himself emptying out the rest of his drink.

"Sorry."

"It's ok." Naruto thought deep and harder about what he could and couldn't tell her. "Me and Sasuke go way back. From the time when I first moved to this city a few years back. He was a troubled kid so I used to make fun of him but somewhere along the line he needed help. He was in dark place but I managed to pull him out in time. Though, as you know it still had some effect on him. I just did what I could to make his life easier."

"Our relationship is filled with holes but there is definitely a bond between us. One I can't explain well." He looked over to Sakura who had a slightly disappointed look on her face. "You're going to have to wait if you want to know everything."

"How long is that going to be?"

"Dunno. A few days…few months…years? It all depends on you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura retorted. Naruto just laughed.

"Don't you want to join in on the fun?" He changed the subject. She followed his gaze to the crowded dance floor.

"As fun as that seems, I rather sit down here." Sakura knew how to dance. Ino made sure she learned so that she could 'properly' attend the frequent parties that she threw. But even with the knowledge, she still didn't enjoy the act.

"I don't come to places like this but at least I enjoy myself while I can." Naruto stood up and offered his hand "Come dance with me."

"I don't know…I might mess up…"

"Trust me."

Sakura didn't know how or why, maybe it was his smile, maybe it was his innocent expression, but in the next moment she found her hand mysteriously in his. Despite her usual tone and mood Sakura was an amazing dancer. Naruto had to try to keep up with her before he made a fool of himself but he was no slouch himself. Naruto moved in perfect sync with the beat. Sakura smiled brightly, Naruto seemed to be having fun with this and so would she. She was going to be as enthusiastic as Naruto was.

The way she moved hypnotized him. He couldn't look away even if he wanted to. The world seemed to melt away and they were the only two people in the world. Naruto was deeply fascinated with her. She had him under her spell and he didn't want to be let go. She wore a simple smile as she broke away and did a small dance of her own before she returned to Naruto's outstretched hand. Naruto gently grabbed her hand and pulled her along and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

Sakura was honestly surprised. She didn't expect Naruto to openly hug her like that. But just then, her mind rewound to a similar scene. She could remember a boy, no older than she was, wrapping his arms around her just like Naruto was. She broke away from Naruto and gazed into his big blue eyes trying to remember more about the scene but at that moment, Naruto realized what he was doing and broke away from her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. You know like when you're into the music you kinda let yourself go, right? Yeah that's what happened. Not that I wanted to hug you or anything! No! I um…ugh," Naruto was babbling so fast that Sakura could hardly keep up. It was there that she noticed, the locket that was dangling from his neck as he flailed his arms about.

"What's this?" Sakura ignored his babbling and held it in her hand.

"That…" His eyes darkened "It's nothing. It's a memento of a friend I left behind a long time."

"More personal stuff you don't want to talk about?" She asked already knowing the answer. Naruto just nodded.

"Um, Sakura-chan about the hug just now…"

"It's ok. I was so into it I didn't mind either."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah."

The two smiled at each other for what seemed like hours until long slender arms wrapped around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"Well I'm sorry to interrupt this inimate moment, but we really have to be going." A familiar brunette appeared behind Sakura and began to pull her away.

"Tenten, right?" She nodded "Alright, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow!" Naruto waved before he returned to his seat both exhausted and weary.

"I saw that hug," A dark voice chuckled.

"Yeah, so?" Naruto sighed. Here came the ridicule.

"With what you told me, I didn't think you'd let go of her." Sasuke pulled the chair next to Naruto and sat down.

"She doesn't remember, so the hug was fine for now." He sighed "Now, back to you and this party." He smiled, Sasuke scowled.

"I hate this place you know that already."

* * *

><p>"Sorry about that but it's getting late." Tenten apologized.<p>

"It's ok," Sakura replied (for the fifth time).

"But things were looking so good! I mean, I swore you two were about to make out!"

"We weren't! Geez, just get home you three." Sakura angrily remarked, not bothering to hide her flushed cheeks.

"You sure you'll be fine alone?" Hinata asked.

"It's not like I haven't walked home before." Sakura reassured "Besides you guys live way downtown, I should be worried about you."

"But there are three of us and only one of you." Ino pointed out.

"I'll be fine, see you guys tomorrow."

She walked away, waving shortly at her friends as she began her long walk home. The bar wasn't too far from her house, just 8 blocks away. Besides there were a lot of people around so she was more than sure that nothing was going to happen. But as the people on the streets began to thin out, it made her a bit worried. She tried to ignore it by focusing on other things.

The cool night air felt good as it brushed against her face; she fixed her hair hoping that it wasn't too messed up. Suddenly, there was a low whimpering which could be heard from within a dark alley.

_Help…me…_

She stopped dead in her tracks, and listened to the cry for help.

Help…me…please…

It was a young boy; probably ten or twelve years old. And he sounded hurt. It was none of her business but she couldn't leave the boy alone.

"Are you there? I'm here to help," she called out but there was no response. There was just an eerie silence. She trailed deeper into the alley ignoring all the warning signs that were ringing in her head.

'_He left?' _she thought as she turned around. Just then, the whimpering began a new but it was lower than before. It was already late, the threat of the black night loomed over her. She walked a distance following the sound before she started feeling like something strange was going on.

'_If the boy was really hurt he wouldn't be able to get this far by dragging himself anyway. And how is it that the boy could project his whimper all the way onto the main road which was at least a few meters away?'_

She had a bad feeling about all of this. She turned, ignored the whimpering and headed back to the road. Sakura hugged her shoulders tightly in an attempt to conjure up some semblance of warmth. During her retreat she glanced over to road and froze in her tracks. Her breathing became hectic as the mailed hand of fear held her heart in a powerful vice.

Its dark eyes pieced hers; its body was huge and muscular. It could have been considered a large adult male with three others behind him. They laughed menacingly as they inched forward slowly. Each step it took sent chills through Sakura's bones. She quickly broke into a sprint fearing for her life. The men wasted no time following suit. She ran right into the edge of alley with her salvation, the main road, in sight. She glanced back to see the men had stopped at the edge of the alley.

Curiosity would kill the cat this night, or so it would seem. Sakura's world came crashing almost literally as she tripped over a trash bin and rolled onto the road hitting the hard asphalt below. She quickly shot up from the ground, turning to assess the situation further. Lady luck seemed to scorn her. 4 more men had joined her pursuer each slowly breaking out of the black prison that was the alley. When she looked over for any signs of life, the road was empty much like her heart at the moment. They had purposefully herded her into the abandoned street. Her panting escalated. Her heart seemed to freeze over.

_Save me…Somebody save me…_


	5. The Getaway

_The Getaway_

_..._

'_Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into these situations. The day began like any other how could it turn out to something like…..this?_'

The droplets of sweat running down Sakura's face fell to the hard ground below. Her heavy panting became ragged as she looked up into the ten dark eyes that stared at her from within the embrace of the shadows. They inched forward out of the woods laughing and bearing large grins on their greedy faces. As she gazed at their grizzly black faces, Sakura' life flashed before her eyes. She realized that she never gave dying much thought.

'_Would death be painful? Would I feel nothing when I pass on? Why are people so afraid of it? If we move on to a better place afterwards isn't that a better way of living than life itself?'_

Her train of thought was halted by a harsh gust of the frosty wind. By now the men were only feet away from her getting ready to move in for the kill. A blood curling chuckle filled the night air from the maw of the largest man. She was trapped. Sakura hugged her legs and buried her face into them shivering as fear squeezed every ounce of strength she had in her heart. Silent tears leaked down her face as waited for her seemingly inevitable end.

Suddenly the roar of a motorcycle engine exploded behind her. She could feel the warm breath exhaled by the machine brushing against her. Her heart began to thrash inside her chest at that moment. Perhaps it was another hapless victim stumbling onto the dinner table for these hunters. A whimper managed to slip out of Sakura's mouth, but to her surprise the person behind her got off the bike, gripped her shoulder and spoke.

"Get on."

Surprised by his action she raised her face above her cradled knees, to gaze at the helmeted face of the person as he faced the men. His voice seemed familiar to Sakura. His figure was shrouded by the night so she couldn't make out his appearance. But she could see he was clad in black biker leather with a while helmet. That's when she noticed that 'men' had stopped in their tracks as if wary of the man; reacting to his presence with angry snarls and vicious looks. The man whipped his head to her and motioned for her to move. He wanted her to get on his bike but she was petrified in her cradled position. Fear had already devoured her legs and they wouldn't listen to her.

"I can't get up…." Sakura whispered softly to the man in hopes that he would hear her. A soft sigh escaped from his mouth. He quickly scooped her up and placed her at the back of his bike. She grabbed him tightly as a bear when he sat down in front of her. The five men advanced towards them. Sakura could feel her heart beating wildly like animals making love in the jungle. She grabbed the man's leathered form tighter if that was even possible. _Isn't bear hugging the strongest?_ She hoped that this was all a bad dream that she was going to wake up from.

Slowly the man revved the engine; the other men noticed this and advanced further towards the two humans. A man clearly wasn't a match for one of these so the best choice was to retreat. The man revved his engine one final time creating a violent echo that disturbed the silence of the quiet street. Before she knew it, the wind rushed through Sakura's hair as the bike raced past the men. She slowly opened her eyes and gasped deeply, her heart rate sky rocketed for what she saw deeply shocked her.

(You'd think with all the heat rate increases and hysteric panting she'd faint or something)

The bike was going at such a speed all the buildings on the sides were like short blurs to her. She was beginning to panic. _Just what kind of man drives at a speed like this?_

As the blurs passed her by Sakura, in the midst of her erratic thoughts, wondered what had happened to the other men. She looked back and a small sigh relief escaped her mouth. She was calmed a little as she saw nothing but the blurs of the passing buildings and cars. But you know things have a habit of smacking you in the face. That's what Sakura got, a smack from none other than Lady Luck.

Just then she saw a shadow move left then right, then another and another. They were still chasing the duo. Her eyes could not capture their movements very well. All she saw were 5 black shadows. Did they also have bikes? Some of them were bobbing and weaving through the sides of the road and some driving directly on the road. Sakura changed her focus to in front of her. She squinted her eyes trying to see ahead and noticed that road ended just up ahead.

"Wait! There is a cliff up ahead!" she shouted from the top of her lungs, shutting her eyes tightly again. The man spoke once more.

"Tighter."

She guessed he was trying to calm her down but it did not loosen the grip fear had on her at the moment.

The sound of rubber grinding against asphalt stopped in an instant. Sakura's eyes flashed open to witness the bike launching off the edge of the cliff. Her eyes wearily looked down to the ground and to her relief they were not as high up as she previously thought but it was still quite a bit above ground. The descent wasn't a pleasant feeling; the wind rushing up against her, the queasy feeling in her stomach and the shock of the bike landing. It wasn't an easy task to not faint. She almost fell off too but she gripped the man tighter as he commanded saving her life. Her stomach felt like it was making wheelies. She really felt like throwing up. As if the man could sense what she felt he spoke out in response to her state of being.

"Not on the jacket."

There was thankfully another road under the cliff. But this one was quite old perhaps even abandoned and it was situated deep in old part of the city. The stars were nowhere in sight. Even the moon seemed to be censored by the bright city lights. The driving didn't seem to end, minutes probably passed and Sakura was still feeling sick.

The ever vigilant shadows were still behind them but something was missing; there were only 3 shadows at the time. The other two were nowhere to be seen. Maybe they pulled back and gave up or they became tired. It was amazing in its own right that the men kept up with the speed of the motorcycle. Only 3 of them were left, a slight ray of hope was born in Sakura.

Maybe the nightmare was coming to an end. But alas it was not to be. Sakura should be pissed that all sign of hope quickly get dashed. (I know I'd be pissed.) A loud snarl rippled through the leader's bike. That's when Sakura noticed the other two men on the sides. They leader gave them orders for an ambush. They caught up to them and every few seconds they would close in by an inch. When they got close enough the bike on the left took a bat and swung at the driver but he was quite prepared.

Sakura's eyes widened as he ducked quickly grabbed the bat and pulled it from the driver and stuck it into his bike's front wheel. The bike flipped into the air and grinded against the asphalt until it crashed into the nearing building. The second man took a chain and lashed it out from the right using the other's death as an opening. The driver had no time to counter the attack so he violently tilted his bike to left.

The force at which he moved caused the bike to almost topple over. Sakura could barely hold on as her heart almost jumped out of her mouth. If it wasn't for the man's quick thinking they'd have fallen over and crashed. He slammed his left arm against the ground to prevent the bike from tipping over. Sakura was quite surprised at the man's action.

'_What the hell! Doesn't he want to keep his arm?' _

He quickly twisted his wrist as he spun the bike a full 36o degrees. But the laws of the universe wouldn't allow it, as he and Sakura were both shot out of the seat of motorcycle. He man wrapped his entire being around Sakura as he turned their bodies so that she would land on him. As the two rolled, as fate would have it the bike followed. But for one moment, lady luck was on their side as it bounced in front and over them knocking into the man who caused this catastrophe. The two continued to roll until the driver made contact with the building wall.

Sakura opened her eyes to find herself in the man's arms with few bruises on her body. She turned to the man, to find a broken mess. His left hand was covered in blood and she could have sworn that she heard a cracking noise when he made contact with the wall. Despite his injuries, he gently moved her to the side and got up.

"Are you crazy? You shouldn't be standing! You're hurt!" The driver didn't respond. He just kept his body straight. He was adamant about not listening to her, but why? She just wanted to help him. It was then that she followed his gaze to find the leader of the gang getting off his bike.

"I've come for my prize. You cost me two of my best men and two bikes." He looked over to Sakura "She should be enough payment for all the trouble you caused."

The driver didn't answer. He just motioned for the gang leader to come at him with his hand 'Bring it'.

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. He unleashed a brutal onslaught of high paced punches and kicks that she could barely keep up with; each blow so precise, so brutal and so powerful. There was no doubt that this man was an expert fighter. Not the gang leader, but the driver. Despite his heavy wounds he made quick work of the leader putting him down with ease.

The man had dispatched all three of those monstrous _creatures _almost too easily. She was amazed at how strong he was. The man looked back to her for a few seconds before he went to pick up the remains of his bike. She didn't know this man but if he hadn't shown up she was sure she would have been killed by the men. He saved her and she had to thank him somehow.

"Thank you," she said with a shaky barely audible voice. The man replied with a simple grunt. He revved the engine of his bike and motioned for her to get on.

"Is it safe?"

The man replied by nodding. He drove up a small hill and onto the main road. That however had a bad effect on Sakura's stomach; she held it in as long as her stomach could hold. The man started slowing down in the presence of traffic and civilization.

"Are you taking me home?" He nodded. "Then follow my directions if you don't mind."

Every so often, he would have stopped follow the direction she pointed towards. Eventually the two made it to her front lawn.

"Um, thank you again but shouldn't you be going to the hospital." He let out a muffled chuckle, and wagged his finger. He pounded his chest, perhaps showing that he was fine.

"But…" and with that he saluted her before he turned and drove down the road disappearing into the veil of shadows.

"What the hell…"

"Sakura? Hun, where have you been? I was getting worried," was the first thing she heard when she entered her house. Her mom called out from the kitchen.

"Sorry I went to Ino's for the night, she had some stuff to show me and I got caught up. Sorry." she lied.

"Oh ok, well dinner's in 5."

"I ate at Ino's so I'm not hungry," she lied again but she really wasn't hungry after all that "I'll be in my room," she rushed up the stairs, and flew into her bed curling up into a ball. She cradled a pillow in her hands as her panting lessened as she began thinking clearly once more.

_What was all that? What's going on? Where did that man come from? How could he beat all those guys? _Never ending questions popped up, all of them never to be answered. Sakura looked out the window and gazed at the crescent moon. It so magnificently perfect the way it shines.

"I guess you miss the little things in life when you're about to die," she laughed and closed her eyes finally being able to relax. The eventful night was finally over and she could get some sleep. She had school in the morning. But for one reason or the other she couldn't fall asleep; each time she closed her eyes the thought of those men and the driver ran through her head. She tried to ignore the feeling and rested on her soft pillows. This was honestly too much for her.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Some feedback would be well appreciated._


	6. The Fight Inside

_The Fight Inside_

_…_

For the first time in her life, Sakura was in a rush to get to school. After not being able to catch a wink of sleep that same night, when she woke up she didn't have any taste for food so she missed her breakfast. Rather she ran out the door with one goal in mind for that morning. There was one person she absolutely needed to see. One person who could have provided all the answers to her never-ending stream of questions.

When she slid the classroom door open, lady luck seemed to appreciate her this day (unlike last night) because lo and behold, he was there resting against his chair with a calmed face. So far he was the only one here. _Perfect._

"Hey Sakura-chan, why so early?" He grinned his usual grin "Don't tell me you wanted an early start on the math lesson?" He joked, but unfortunately for him she wasn't in a joking mood and he noticed. Sakura carefully looked at him, scanning him from top to bottom until she walked (stomped) over to him.

"Um, something wrong? You look angry." Sakura didn't really care how she looked at the moment. All she cared about now was Naruto. She stopped in front of him and brought her face near his.

"What?" He stared at her in pure stupor. _What was she doing?_ She slowly opened her mouth and began to speak as slowly as she could.

"It was you wasn't it?"

"Me? Me what?" Naruto blinked. "What are you on about now?"

Just then, Sakura raised her hand as high as her arms would go and in an instant Naruto wondered what just happened. Sakura's hand was currently on his back, after being slammed there with much force. Like a delayed reaction, Naruto screamed from the top of his lungs.

"I knew it was you!"

"What is wrong with you?" Naruto groaned and moaned as he hunched over on the desk.

"You were the one who saved me last night!" Sakura proclaimed, still oblivious to the fact that she hurt him.

"I don't know what you're talking about-" She raised her hand once more "Ok! It was me! I did it! I saved you, ok? Now put that thing down before you kill me!"

"I knew it was you!"

"Great, thank you for establishing that by slapping me on the back!" Naruto groaned "Agh, my back is killing me."

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking straight!" Sakura apologized realizing what she had did "Are you ok?"

"Of course not!"

"You hit the wall pretty hard too…I'm sorry!" She bowed. "Wait! Why aren't you in the hospital? You got hurt pretty badly!"

"I don't have the money nor the time to go to the hospital." Naruto answered flatly.

"You almost died last night!"

"I'm fine."

She rose her hand once more.

"Ok I'm not fine!" She lowered it "What is with you and that hand of yours?"

"I'm genuinely worried about you! Is this why you always have some sort of bandage on you? Because you go out joy riding like a crazed maniac?" Sakura would have strangled him if he wasn't so hurt.

"No! That was a onetime thing." Naruto sighed "Look, I was on my way home, heard some noises, found you _in trouble I might add_ so I grabbed the bike and made my rescue."

"Who's bike is it anyway?"

"Sasuke's." Sakura mentally groaned. Not only was Sasuke a brilliant heartthrob, he was also rich. Oh joy.

"Where did you learn how to fight like that? You beat that guy senseless." Naruto didn't respond. He looked down as if he was regretting something terribly. "Naruto…"

"This is what happens when you become reckless, you fool." A cold voice rang through the room.

"Not even going to ask how I'm doing? Some friend you are." Naruto turned away.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. Why don't you ever think before you act?" Sasuke appeared near Naruto's desk with a peeved expression that Sakura had never seen before. He was usually angry but never this _pissed_.

"She was attacked. There was no time to think." Naruto replied in a similar tone.

"Of course this would be your fault," Sasuke turned his anger to her. "Why didn't you take my advice and stay away from him?"

"You never told me anything of the sort!"

"In the classroom, I mention a person called Gaara. He got hurt because of his attachment to Naruto. That was a message directed at _you_, Haruno!"

"Sasuke! This has nothing to do with that! It was a bunch of dirty bikers!" Naruto defended. "If this is about the bike I brought it to a repair shop."

"That isn't the point! The fact that you continue to kill yourself for people you barely know is what pisses me off."

"Sasuke! We've talked about that. I am not going to stop. You know I won't."

Sasuke knew. He knew Naruto wouldn't stop. He wasn't the sort of person to do it. It wasn't the knowledge of that that made him back away but the look of determination Naruto give told him enough. He hated it when Naruto got like that. There was no way he was ever going to change his mind. He was wasting his breath here.

"Tch," Sasuke clicked his teeth, turned and walked out the door "Suit yourself."

"Naruto…" Sakura spoke up after a long silence.

"Sakura, I want you to promise me you won't ask about anything. It's better for you and for me if you stay in the dark."

"But…" Sakura couldn't let this go. There was so much she wanted to know. So many questions were going to go unanswered if she let it go.

"Please." He begged.

"…ok. I promise." Sakura broke under his pleading eyes "But only on one condition!"

"What?"

"Whenever you get hurt _please_ tell me so I can at least take you to the hospital." Naruto's eyes widened for a short time with his mouth slightly agape, but then it smoothed out into a gentle smile.

"Deal."

"Now get your ass off the chair we're going now."

Sakura knew. In the dark reaches of her heart, she would soon come to regret those words of promise.

* * *

><p>It had been a few weeks since Naruto came to Konoha High and the biking incident. Since his arrival new friendships had been made (thanks to Sakura's meddling). Tenten, Hinata and even Ino spoke normally with Naruto. At lunch time they would gather and chat until it was time to go back to class. They occasionally went out to Kaleidoscope and other places when they had free time during the afternoon.<p>

Eventually, Naruto even dragged the legendary Ice Prince Sasuke Uchiha to join them for lunch. At first Naruto had to literally drag him to the table until he ran out of energy to escape, but soon enough Sasuke came of his own accord and eventually became part of the group. (He was still a douche though.)

What Sakura found strange was that there were times that both Naruto and Sasuke had to be absent from school. The teachers said that were sick, but they wouldn't show up for days on end and when they returned Sasuke would be perfectly fine but Naruto always came back with a bruise and bandages. He always avoided questions about them though. With the stunt he pulled when he saved her that night she could understand where and how he got the bandages. But no matter how much she wanted to know, she promised that she wouldn't ask about it.

But with new friendships, old ones or strange ones seemed to fade away. Sakura began to notice it the day after Naruto saved her. People began to avoid him. They wouldn't even look in his general direction. She often wondered why they were doing that. Naruto wasn't a bad person. As far as she knew, Naruto was a Saint in her eyes. He almost died for her once.

So far everything was peaceful and calm for Sakura during those few weeks, but today was the day that her world was going to change for the worst.

"What did you guys get on the Math exam?" Naruto asked flopping down on the lunch table "I got 50 on the dot."

"I got 95," replied Sakura patting Naruto on the back. "Good try, Naruto."

"I don't like that 'You did your best' look in your eye…"

"84," remarked Ino flipping through the pages of her teen magazine.

"85," Tenten sang while twirling her hair and chewing on her gum.

"90." Hinata managed through chewing on her noodles.

"I rather not say," Sasuke's eyes wandered away from the table.

"Was it that bad?" Sakura asked, extending her hand to Sasuke's paper but he pulled away "Hey gimme that!"

"No." He pulled the paper away from her. Before Sasuke could notice Naruto appeared behind him and swiped the paper away from him.

"Hey! Give that back you idiot." Sasuke protested.

"Maybe if you had faster reflexes you would have noticed," Naruto's face became grim "…a perfect 100..."

"Am I the only one who almost failed?" Naruto blurted as he took his seat.

"This is why I didn't want to say anything." He grabbed his paper "I was trying to save you the shame."

Naruto's head slammed against the table "I feel so out of the loop now." Everyone laughed (except Sasuke who seemed to enjoy Naruto's pain expression)

"Hey! Uzumaki!"

Naruto's eyes widened for a split second, fearful of turning around he looked to Sasuke who turned around. They exchanged a quick glance to each other followed by a quick nod. Naruto got up from his seat with his usual lackadaisical look.

"Can I help you?"

Naruto and Sasuke furrowed their eyebrows at the sight of two clothed teens that walked through the door. One was a tall brown skinned boy with twin fang tattoos on either side of his cheek, dark beast-like eyes. He was tall and very muscular.

"Name's Kiba Inuzuka. I heard about you and I wanted to know if what people were saying was true."

"And what have they been saying about me?"

"That you're a hardcore fighter who doesn't take bull from anyone who messes with him."

"Is that so?" Naruto sat down, still facing the boy "What do those rumors have to do with you?"

"I have to say, me and my friend here know a bit about fighting and we're curious to what you can do."

Next to him was a taller, but paler boy with eyes similar to that of Hinata's. His long hair was tied up in the mid-section and swayed with the direction of the wind. "I'm only here because I was dragged. I'm an innocent bystander." He spoke calmly.

"Cousin Neji?" Naruto happened to overhear Hinata's mumblings. "He's from the school disciplinary committee but what does he want with Naruto?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested." Naruto turned back to the table. Everyone else was dumbfounded as they stared at the two boys. Naruto could actually feel everyone's glare on _his_ back rather than the boys.

"What? You aren't going to fight?" Kiba asked, slightly confused.

"No."

"Kiba those rumors were obviously false. It's just like you to rush ahead without thinking things through." Neji reprehended Kiba, which he didn't appreciate.

There was no way that that guy wasn't a fighter. And he was sure Neji could feel his fighter spirit (being a martial artist himself). He wasn't going to look like an idiot in front of the school for nothing.

"No!" Kiba glared at Naruto "You and I both know he is a dirty fighter. It's our job as the disciplinary committee to root out delinquents like him and you know it!"

"That maybe so but he hasn't done anything to anger the committee. So even if he was a delinquent we can't touch him." Neji remarked. Kiba clicked his teeth.

"Come on Blondie, show us what you can do!" Kiba grinned "Or are you too scared to fight me?"

Naruto's remained the same as if it was carved from stone. These people were clearly after something else but there was more than that. Naruto felt extremely uneasy with him around. Sakura noticed Naruto's face and nudged him lightly as she gave him a look that said "Keep Cool".

"Oh? Is that why you don't want to fight?" Kiba chuckled "You're whipped? What? Girlie doesn't want her boyfriend to get his face beaten in? Man your lame." Kiba laughed.

"Kiba that's enough!" Neji shouted but he went on.

"You know what? You don't need to fight me. You'd win, because you have the perfect weapon against fighters like me – yer face."

Naruto was nearing his limit. Not only did Kiba insult him but he dragged Sakura into it.

"Come on, fight me dumbass."

Just then a loud bang echoed through the quiet cafeteria. The cause of the sound stood up and walked towards the confused Kiba with hate emanating from his cold eyes. Not Naruto, but Sasuke.

"Are you always this stupid or are you just making a special effort today?" He glared "Wait, no calling you an idiot would be an insult to stupid people."

"You son of a…!" Kiba almost lunged onto Sasuke, but Neji grabbed his uniform just in time to pull him back.

"Kiba, that will be enough of that! You've disgraced the committee enough for the day!" Neji sent Kiba towards the cafeteria entrance.

"Mr. Uzumaki and friends I apologize for my friend's rude comments." Neji bowed "Now if you'll excuse me."

"This isn't over Uzumaki!" Kiba shouted before Neji pulled him along.

"Thanks Sasuke." Sasuke didn't respond, he just sat down and eat his lunch like nothing happened.

"What the heck was that all about?" Ino shouted, ignoring the fact that Naruto was in front of her.

"Heck if I know," Naruto scratched his head "Man."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears for a second. Did she hear Naruto correctly? She swore he said 'So it's finally here, huh?' as he muttered under his breath. What did he mean by that?

The group thought of it as nothing more than a bad day but Sakura could tell that Naruto's reputation was slowly going down the drain right in front of her face.

* * *

><p>For one reason or the other, Sakura found herself walking home alone. Hinata had to stay back to help her cousin Neji with some paper work, Tenten had club practice (no one knew what club she was in – she refused to speak about it) and Ino had some last minute shopping to do. The last thing Sakura wanted was to be alone after that bike incident.<p>

Before she could leave the school building, from the corner of her eyes she could see a familiar dark haired boy staring off into the back of the school. Feeling a bit curious she walked over there. On her way there, the noises of bodies smashing together and cracking bones reached her ears. Her heartbeat escalated. Where Sasuke was, he was sure to be there. Sakura found herself running to the scene; faster than she had even ran before.

Sasuke found it no surprise that Sakura had managed to find herself at the scene but her appearance wouldn't make a difference.

"What…?" When Sakura got there, there were 8 people in total brawling it out. It was no other than Kiba and the disciplinary committee fighting a familiar blonde. No sooner had she gotten there that Kiba fell, probably to his bruises which left, the six members versus Naruto.

"We have to help him!" Sakura rushed forward only to be pulled back by Sasuke who just glared at her.

"This isn't something we should get involved with," He looked to Naruto who had already taken down two of the members "We should just stay here."

"But Naruto…." She trailed off.

"He'll be fine. You know how tough he is."

Sakura could only watch in horror as the brutal showdown turned for the worst. The boys had weapons; not only wooden swords but one had a metal pipe. He slammed the metal pipe into Naruto's back causing him to scream out loud. Sakura instinctively wrapped her arms around herself and cringed at the sound of his pained voice. Naruto gritted his teeth, but he did not fall, rather he grabbed the pipe jab the user with the end. He then used it to break the wooden swords of the other three members before he threw the pipe and beat them down with his own two fists.

After the fighting ceased, Naruto fell to knees momentarily unable to hold himself up. Sakura immediately dashed towards him with her hands outstretched. Naruto slapped her hand away, and without so much as a word walked passed her and Sasuke.

"Naruto! Wait!" She called out but Naruto wouldn't turn around. She could only watch as her friend walked away. Leaving her to feel useless and unnecessary; something she hated and feared. Soon enough Sasuke walked in the opposite direction from Naruto, seemingly heading home. Sakura could only stare at their backs until they disappeared from her vision.

Were the rumors about Naruto true? The evidence was right in front of her but she didn't want to believe it. Naruto wasn't going to tell her anything so what was she supposed to think about all this.

"Why…don't you just talk to me already…?"

* * *

><p><em>Naruto refuses to speak to Sakura, what is she suppose to think when rumors spiral to of control? If there is one thing she knows, is that this isn't the end.<br>_

_A/N: If there are spelling errors, I'd like some feed back so I can correct them. I make a lot of these since I just speed-write these chapters._


	7. Doubt

_Doubt_

_..._

"Um excuse me?" A small girl spoke out meekly "Could you help me please?"

The pink haired girl stopped and turned to face the small girl with bright smile on her face. She had gorgeous sapphire eyes and blonde curly hair tied up into tiny ponytails with black ribbons. She reminded Sakura of someone very similar.

"I'm looking for the 1 – B classroom, uh, I'm a first year and I just transferred in today." The pink haired girl smiled sweetly as she pointed the way.

"It's down the hall just turn left," Just then the school bell sounded "You had better hurry."

The first year didn't wait another second as she rushed through the hall. She turned left like Sakura instructed and there in big bold letters wrote 'Assembly Hall'. Sakura, feeling more a less curious if the girl had found her classroom, followed her shortly.

"Um, I'm Hiragi Yuki, uh, please take care of me!" She heard from the other side of the wall. Great, Sakura smiled, she found it. Sakura always enjoyed helping others, even if it was with the smallest of tasks. She couldn't deny anyone who asked for help. She'd feel horrible if she did. She didn't want anyone to feel left behind. She hung around the class for a few minutes, having a free period and more than enough time to kill before she heard a few girls speak up from the classroom.

"Hey, hey Hiragi-chan, come here for a minute," One of the girls called "You're new right? I think you should know about a kid named Naruto Uzumaki." Sakura's heart sank.

"Who?"

"Yeah, he is this rude delinquent who beats people up for no reason!"

"Really? His name sounds so cool though." Yuki replied.

"Don't be fooled by his cool appearance! I heard that he beat down Kiba Inzuka and his disciplinary committee a few days ago!"

The scene was still fresh in Sakura's memory.

_The 7 boys fighting Naruto. The metal pipe that was slammed into his back and the pained shriek he gave when it made contact. All of these memories were painful ones for here. She could remember Sasuke's impassive expression when he looked at it all. It was like he was use to seeing Naruto get hurt. He wasn't fazed by anything. It was unsettling to watch Naruto's so called 'best friend' just watch him get beat up like that. _

_What was more unsettling was that Naruto took down each boy like it was nothing. He was used to fighting that much she knew. That was all she knew. In the few weeks she had gotten to know Naruto, she had learned nothing about him. She was only a friend who knew he liked Ramen the best, who liked to smile at challenges, who had the academic know-how of a 12 year old. She knew nothing of his personal life. How could she be called a friend when she couldn't do a thing to help him?_

_What hurt her most was not the fact that he didn't talk to her, but the fact that he refused to let her help him afterwards. When he slapped her hands away, she couldn't feel anything but a deep-seated pain. The angered look in his eye, the solemn look on his face, the view of his large back when she couldn't do anything but stare at._

_What was this boy going through? Why wouldn't he let her in? _

"That's not what I heard," another interrupted "I heard that he took down the entire soccer team for looking at him wrong."

_After finishing up her Science project, Sakura was on her way to the classroom when she happened to come across a familiar scene out the window; a tall blonde, surrounded by a large group of boys. Naruto looked angry, angrier than she had ever seen him and he was shouting at them. She couldn't hear what they were saying but only in a matter of seconds they attacked him. _

_Sakura broke into a dash, forgetting that she had a class at that very moment. By the time she got there, Naruto was covered in bruises with blood trickling down his cut cheek and forehead. Again, Naruto had put everyone down in a matter of minutes. As if fate was playing a cruel trick on her it began raining. _

_Naruto knew she was watching. She knew Naruto knew she was there. But again, no words were said. All that could be heard was the trickling of the rain against the ground._

_From the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar bushy browed boy on the floor refusing to raise his head. He seemed ashamed of himself. If there was something she knew, it was that Rock Lee was an absolute good guy. He was kind, bright and always had a smile on his face. Though he often hit on her, he still had his charm points. Why would he fight with Naruto? They seemed like people who would be great friends together._

_She stood in the rain, waiting for Naruto to make at least some form of contact with her but that would never happen as Naruto walked straight past her._

_Pain. _

_Hurt._

_Frustration._

_Why…? Aren't we friends, Naruto?_

"That's true," another joined "My older sister is a third year here and she told me to stay away from him. She said she saw what he did with the Student Council President and the disciplinary President."

_There was no surprise on Sakura's face when she rushed through the crowd after she heard Naruto had been in another fight. Panting and heavily tired from running from the opposite side of the school, Sakura stared blankly at Naruto who just returned her gaze. Like before, a gang of the disciplinary committee and a few other students were holding their limp bodies against the walls and a few were on the floor groaning in pain. From the corner of her eye she could have seen Neji, battered and beaten struggling to keep his grip on the water fountain. Out from the Council Room, the president (who was bruised as well) scratched his head and ordered everyone to get away from the scene. Under his breath, he said 'How am I going to explain this? This is so troublesome…'_

_Sakura continued to peer into her friend's (?) eyes for any glimmer of remorse in his eyes. That alone would have told her that he wasn't enjoying what he was doing. It shattered a piece of her mind when she saw…nothing. There was no remorse, no rage and definitely no emotion. The crowd had already thinned out until the four of them remained. The only thing different about that scene was rather than Naruto walking off, it was Sakura's turn._

With a bitter sigh escaping her mouth, she headed for the cafeteria for a bite to eat. When she got, all she could do was sigh. All the students in the room were dumbstruck. The entire cafeteria looked like it had been leveled by a bulldozer. She looked for Naruto's bruised body only to find him on the floor with two others next to him. Choji Akimichi and Shino Aburame weren't exactly the coolest people in the school, with one being a human-food-vacuum and the other a bug freak.

Sakura noticed the food stains that covered Naruto's uniform. She could only imagine that Naruto called Choji fat or something close and Shino just happened to get caught in the mix. Unlike before Naruto actually seemed to have a smile on his face (which surprised Sakura greatly). She simply walked over to him throwing her handkerchief on his body with one word that she had been dying to say to him. A word she held in for the 2 weeks they hadn't spoken.

"Idiot."

"I can see your panties." He remarked with a grin plastered on his face. He had full access from his position to look up her skirt. It took her a full minute to understand the words he just said. No man was brave enough to say those words to her in her life, but here Naruto just came out with it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You…" Sakura could feel the vein in her forehead bulging "_You dumbass!"_ She slammed her foot down on his chest and kicked him in the ribs shooting him into the flipped lunch table.

"_You haven't spoken to me in two weeks and that's the first thing you say to me?"_

"Wait! I was just making an observation!" Naruto struggled to get up, shaking his head frantically from side to side. Sakura stomped up to him grabbing him by the collar and hang her fist (of doom) in the air near his face. As Naruto waited for the fist that would never come, Sakura released her grip on his collar and looked to the floor.

"Sakura…?"

"Idiot." She muttered as she turned away from him and disappeared into the crowd. Naruto was at a loss for words. If he didn't know better she could have sworn that he saw a tear in her eye when she let go.

After the cafeteria incident, the students were allowed to return to their respective classes. Sakura's teachers were busy looking for the hoodlums who destroyed the cafeteria so classes were on hold for the afternoon which gave Sakura enough time free roam. Time she would use to find Naruto before he did something stupid again.

.She wandered the campus in hopes of finding him but to no avail. It's like he had disappeared. It was then that Sakura remembered that she wasn't the only one looking for him. _If I want to find him, I'll have to think like him._

After a few minutes of wandering, she finally noticed the time as the sun was going down and the bell to go home was going to ring any minute. Now she had less time to find the idiot, _great_. She wandered to the second floor in hopes of finding him, but this floor like the first was empty. She opened the closest class room she could find.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see a boy sleeping peacefully on four chairs put together to create a bed. His spikey hair danced in the gentle breeze, his white skin was slightly bruised (if you looked hard enough) and his clothes were tattered and dirty. It was the same boy that had been driving her nuts for weeks. There was something, something familiar about him but Sakura couldn't put her finger on it. She gently stroke the boy's soft and creamy face for a moment before her eyes fell onto the locket around his neck.

Knowing that Naruto wouldn't put up any resistance she gently grabbed it and had a closer look at it. It was a simple yet elegant looking locket. It was silver with gold trimmings with a rose etched in the back. But what she was mainly interested in was what was inside. Before she could open it, long slender arms tangled around her body, preventing her from moving and also blocking her mouth.

"Don't scream, don't move. Just follow me." The dark voice commanded. She could only nod hesitantly before she was pulled out of the room. _Not again, please, just not again. I don't think I could take any more of that._

"What are you doing?" The man let her go and she snapped her head around, to find none other than Sasuke. This one had also been giving her the silent treatment. He was as elusive as a snake. He avoided her at every possible corner.

"What do you want?"

"I asked first."

"I was looking for him," Sakura pointed to the sleeping blonde.

"Not what I mean," He closed his eyes "I'm asking why do you care so much for him?"

"He is my friend."

"Mine as well. But you don't see me jumping at my own convenience to meddle in his life." Sasuke pulled away from her and began to walk away "Just leave him be. Come a few months and you'll never have to see him again."

"Some friend you are." Sakura remarked. Sasuke gritted his teeth roughly. He quickly did a 180 and grabbed her wrist. Still lost by his sudden action, she didn't even feel the impact when he threw her against the nearby wall. Sakura was shocked. His face entered her field of vision, as his slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her head.

"You know nothing about me! You don't know what I've done to get where I am! What _he _has done to survive for this long! You barely know anything!" Sasuke was practically mere inches from her face. Sakura's face heated up when she stared into his face. She had never seen him this…aggressive before. She turned away unable to look him straight in the eye.

_No! I am not falling for Sasuke Uchiha, not again._

"Then tell me! I'm tired of being left in the dark! I want to do something for him! I want to help him! But no one is giving me the chance to do anything!"

"It isn't your place!"

Sakura bared her fangs and turned to him. "Then I'll make it my place!"

Sasuke, more or less taken aback by her response, could only stare as Sakura gave off the same look that Naruto often did. It angered him greatly. Sakura ignored the look he gave her and continued with what she had to say.

"I had a friend; a great friend that I always used to play with back in the country side, but I had to leave because of my dad's transfer. Now I can't even remember what…he or she looked like. It's all a blur. But I left them behind in a town that didn't like either of us. I abandoned them, I don't want to lose anymore friends no matter what-"

Just then, the two could hear a phone ringing from the other room.

"Perfect." Sasuke pulled away from her and headed into the room.

"What?"

"You want to see Naruto's world right?" Sakura could only nod "Then shut up and follow my lead."

"Naruto! Naruto, you lazy dumbass! Wake up!" Sasuke slapped Naruto across the face.

"!#!#%&#$#$^!" Naruto had a rude awakening that he would not forget anytime soon "Sasuke? What the hell man?"

"Your phone." Naruto looked down to his phone, gritted his teeth and barreled out of the front door.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Bye Sakura-chan!"

"Follow me." Sasuke ordered and Sakura followed.

* * *

><p>Light was beginning to leave the city streets and a chill crept into the area. The two ventured deeper into an abandoned part of the city that Sakura didn't know about. By the way, Sasuke pulled her along (literally) he must have been trying to avoid anyone else. The buildings here were ancient and worn out.<p>

Sakura didn't feel safe here. All the men and even some of the women were looking at her like she was their next meal. She instinctively scrunched up to Sasuke, who would just push her away. Sakura could hear loud chats and cheering off in the distance. They must have been nearing their destination.

It was there that Sakura cringed. She was deeply in shock over what she had just been audience to; she had only just stopped shivering. A group of men covered in blood were just thrown onto the side of what seemed like a miniature stadium.

_Naruto was here? _

There pushed pass a group of onlookers to get a better view of what she hoped Naruto wasn't a part of. The pushed pass the front where Sakura had a front view of the action.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer, a man wearing a swirled face mask shouted from the center of the ring.

"To the left, our undefeated Champion Kamikaze!" The crowd roared "And to our left! The challenger, who has won all of his matches for the day, Taika Ryuuji!"

"Fighters ready!" The announcer grinned devilishly as he disappeared into the crowd "Brawl!"

Kamikaze flew into action; before Ryuuji could respond he lodged his fist deep into Ryuuji's stomach followed up by a quick jab to his face. Ryuuji gritted his teeth and suddenly grabbed Kamikaze's hand and returned the favor by kneeing him in the stomach. Ryuuji followed up by ramming his elbow into Kamikaze chin then backhanding Kamikaze who staggered back. Kamikaze wiped the blood off his mouth as he charged with a flurry of kicks that Ryuuji easily blocked.

Ryuuji took the initiative by slapping Kamikaze's foot away as he buried his fist into Kamikaze's chest. Kamikaze fought the urge to cough up his own blood as he grabbed Ryuuji's arm and rammed his fist into Ryuuji's ribs.

Both combatants staggered backwards, both their bodies ached from the painful blows. Hits like that were most likely to cause fractured or even broken bones and internal bleeding. The two bared it and glared at each other. They wiped their bleeding mouths and stood off once more. They ignored their weakened bodies and rushed at each other once more.

Ryuuji lunged forward with a punch, but Kamikaze was faster. He wanted to end this fight with as little damage as he could. He slapped his hand away, countering by lodging his knee deep into the man's followed by a quick roundhouse kick to his face. Before he could get away, Kamikaze reached out and grabbed the back of the man's neck and pulled him in. Kamikaze raised one leg after the other, laying knee after knee into the man's core.

As planned Kamikaze, backed away and the man fell to the floor unable to stand anymore. He had won this fight.

"And the winner, and still the undefeated champion, Kamikaze!" The announcer ran in the arena and held Kamikaze's hand up signifying his victory. Just then, two men came in and carried Ryuuji's limp body off the arena.

Back in the crowd, Sasuke felt satisfied. He had done what he hadn't been able to do for months. If he knew doing this would have succeeded, he would have done this a long time ago. He smirked at Sakura lost expression. Her gaze seemed unfocused like she wasn't looking at the arena or Kamikaze. Rather, she was too shaken to identify Kamikaze as the knuckle-headed blonde boy who came to her class months ago.

_What…is…this?_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Any thoughts on the current development?  
><em>


	8. Family

_A/N: I didn't update yesterday and I probably won't update for a while but to make it up, this chapter is extra long. Twice as long as any chapter I've wrote before. I never thought 'Explanation' chapters could be so long. Anyway, enjoy~!_

* * *

><p><em>o-o-o<br>_

_Family:_

_Without Which We Could Not Exist  
><em>

_o-o-o  
><em>

Sakura was always taught not to judge a book by its cover. It's all she had left for Naruto's random and strange behavior. However, the fight club scene she witnessed was beyond judging the cover of a book. No matter what kind of reason Naruto had for doing it, it couldn't be worth his life and well being.

Sakura entered through the classroom with those thoughts in mind. Unfortunately for her, she was late which only happened on rare occasions. Ino, Hinata and Tenten were worried that something might have been wrong with their friend.

It wasn't her that had the problem but one blonde boy who was so full of mystery it hurt. She wanted-no demanded an answer from him as soon as possible. This lead her to do the only act she could think of.

"I know I just got here but can Naruto and I be excused?"

The teacher stared at her, expressionless. "Mrs. Haruno, if you want to make out with your boyfriend you can do that on your own time." A man with a doctor's mask asked, with a raised eyebrow. Not many people knew why Kakashi Hatake wore it but he just did. People stopped caring about the mask after a few months of being under his study and got use to it as being part of his face.

"I'll take that as a yes, come on Naruto." Sakura grabbed Naruto roughly and pulled him out of his seat.

"Wow, she didn't even blush." He paused "Must be serious."

"Um, what's up Sakura-chan?" Naruto spoke up after the long awkward silent. She already weirded him out by pulling him out of the classroom, he didn't need her to just stare at him after she brought him up to the roof.

"I know."

"Huh?"

"I was there last night." Naruto cocked his head and Sakura snapped at his confusion "I watched you fight in that god forsaken night club!"

The color from Naruto's face drained. "How did you…?"

"Sasuke took me."

"…that bastard-!" Before Naruto could rush off Sakura grabbed his hand.

"Don't! I asked him to do it!"

"Why would you do something like that?" Naruto was genuinely angry with her. She couldn't blame him. She was in direct violation of the promise they made_- she_ made.

"What was I supposed to do? You wouldn't talk to me anymore! I had to do something!" She pulled up any excuse she could.

"You could have forgotten about all of this and moved on with your life!"

"How can I when you get into fights everyday like that? I'm worried about you! I'm scared that if I just look the other way you'll just disappear."

"It would be better if I did, your life would be better that way."

Sakura was taken aback. "How can you say that?" He didn't reply.

"So that's it? Just appear in my life, befriend me, have me care for you then when you're done with me you try to get rid of me?"

"What? No! I'm telling you this for your own good!"

"My own good? You can't just decide things like that for me! Let me make my own choices!"

"Sakura you've seen enough of my life! I'm dangerous. I just don't want to see you get hurt!"

"Naruto if you think you're protecting me you're wrong." Sakura shook her head "You're only hurting me with your silence."

Naruto gave her a bitter look before he turned away and paced around. "I feel like no matter what I do you'll abandon me."

Sakura's anger flared at the word 'abandon. "I'm not going to abandon you! Not again!" Sakura was caught off guard by her own words. Naruto seemed more stunned than she was. She didn't mean to say that; it just managed to let itself out.

Again? _High school was the only time I met Naruto. Why would I say again?_

"Sakura-chan…?" Naruto seemed more lost than she was.

"Listen to me. I won't leave you, I won't abandon you and I definitely won't hate you if you just explained everything to me." She took a deep calming breath and held Naruto's shirt tightly "Ne, Naruto?"

"…meet me at the school gate after school," was all Naruto said before he walked off the roof. Sakura sighed. Finally he was going to talk to her.

* * *

><p>As promised, Naruto waited for Sakura after school near the gate. On her way over to him, Sakura had a hard time reading his facial expression. <em>He seemed distant, no mellow, no slightly depressed? Whatever.<em>

"Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Sakura lugged her bag over shoulders, following Naruto seemingly heavy footsteps.

"You'll see."

_More of the silent treatment? I thought he was finally going to talk to me. _

While Sakura walked down the unfamiliar streets of Konoha, she couldn't help but feel that Naruto was being distant with her. His strides were wider, since he was much taller than she was, which left a lot of space between them when she walked. Not only that but she could feel like she was being watched. It only took her a moment to notice that people were in fact staring, not at her but Naruto.

It took Sakura only a minute to figure out what Naruto (knowing his nature) was doing. He was far too kind to be a delinquent. (At least that's what Sakura thought.) He was purposefully speeding up so people wouldn't think they were together, to spare her of the hateful glares.

_If you're so kind Naruto, why would you be in a place like that?_

Sakura followed Naruto into what seemed like a large apartment complex. He walked through the gate and into the center of the complex, which was a small park. From there Sakura could see people opening their doors from the higher floors, which each of their eyes all gunning for her.

"This is a good friend of mine," Naruto shouted to all the onlookers "If any of you so much as look at her wrong," Naruto cracked his knuckles loudly. "There will be hell to pay. And then some."

Some with fearful looks backed away into their rooms, others shook their head with a humorous sigh and some had impassive looks on their faces - one in particular – a guy with dark hair and questionable fashion tastes.

"Come on," Naruto nudged her with the first smile he wore for the day "I have some friends I want to show you."

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sakura climbed the stairs to the second floor, where he began lightly knocking on the third door from the stairs.<p>

"Yui-onee-chan! Are you home?"

"Hello Naruto," A young woman with medium length brunette hair appeared from out the door "Oh my, and who is this?"

"My name is Sakura Haruno, nice to meet you." Sakura smiled.

"Oh! You are Sakura? I can see why Naruto is so taken with you."

"Wah! You didn't have to tell her that!" Naruto colored red, so did Sakura.

"It's fine isn't it?" The woman held her cheeks and fidgeted about "I can't believe that my little Naruto has become so grown up," Yui (in an emotional fit) grabbed Naruto, burying him in her chest and hugging him tightly.

"Onee-san, now isn't the time!"

Sakura didn't know why or how, but she felt angry. She also felt a sense of defeat for some reason. It was bitter. Yui seemed to notice Sakura's expression and smiled before she let Naruto go."

"Well it is a pleasure meeting you, Haruno-chan," She smiled "Would you two like to come in for some tea?"

"No thanks Onee-chan, I have to go introduce her to everyone else."

"That's a shame. I made your favourite pastries too." She sighed.

"….with cinnamon?"

"Yep."

"… the ones with the jelly filling?"

"The very same."

"Naruto you're drooling." Sakura nudged him and he regained his composure.

"As tempting as that sounds, really tempting….I mean extremely-" Sakura coughed "I mean, I have to show her around then we have some business to attend to. So I really can't." Naruto straightened up, completely wiping away his desires. He felt like a new man.

"Well I could always save them."

"Sweet merciful Kami-sama, thank you!" Naruto was on the verge of tears in an instant. Were they that good?

"Anyway, I don't want to keep you from your adolescent desires! So good bye you two." Her smile quickly turned into a devil's grin as she backed away into her room with a princess' haughty laugh.

"What did she mean…?"

"Don't ask."

* * *

><p>"Ebisu, you in there?" Naruto called on another door on the next floor.<p>

"Huh? Oh Naruto, and…why hello there!" His tired expression quickly changed into a smile once he laid eyes upon Sakura. Sakura read this man as 'Dangerous and must be avoided at all costs'. He had dark hair and brown eyes wore thick sunglasses.

"If you value your life, don't bother." Naruto glared coldly.

"Such hostility Naruto, don't you know better manners than to be courteous and kind when in the presence of a lovely lady." He shook his head. Sakura didn't know why, but Kakashi-sensei popped into her head when she looked at the man. They must have been one in the same – totally perverted.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway I came here to intoduce- Oye!"

"It is my pleasure milady." Ebisu already by passed Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and kissed it gently "They call me Ebisu. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

_Kill. Kill. Kill._

Sakura had always wanted to meet her prince charming, to be treated like a princess and such…when she was 9. Naruto could see her fists trembling. He could tell they ached for some violence.

"Right," Naruto grabbed Ebisu's hand and threw them off "Like I said, if you value your life. Don't bother."

"For now Naruto, for now."

"Forever you idiot!"

"Life and well being takes a back seat to love my boy," Ebisu's expression changed when he said that "And you will know all about it soon enough. Won't you Naruto?"

"What?"

"Nothing." He shook his head "Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you, Sakura."

"How did you know my name?"

"Naruto has talked a lot about you-"

"Shut up you pervert," Naruto literally kicked him back into his room and slammed the door shut. "Ignore him."

"Until we meet again my dear!" He shouted from the other side of the door.

On the way up the stairs, she could hear Naruto's annoyed mumbling. Something about '…perverted old man' and 'I don't talk about Sakura that much'. She had to admit it warmed her heart that Naruto was speaking so brightly about her even when he didn't talk directly _to_ her.

* * *

><p>"Yume, Yuki! You home-" Before Naruto could even finish his call, a girl with short hair as white as snow burst through the door and onto Naruto. Naruto caught her in his arms and spun her around a few times.<p>

"Onii-chan!" The girl giggled. She was then joined, by a similar looking girl (with longer hair) who wasn't as rash as the other and stood in the doorway.

"Nii-san!" The girls were twins by the looks of it. They looked no older than 12.

"Hey girls, how are you two today?" Naruto put the girl down and rubbed her head lightly.

"We're fine today, Nii-san." The polite girl answered with a sincere smile on her face.

"Yeah, we had an awesome time at school today! I caught this huge bug in our classroom and Yume got caught stealing cookies from the cafeteria." The rasher one held her arms behind her head, showing off her little snaggle tooth when she smiled.

"Yuki that was you! The cafeteria lady was awfully mad at you." Yume pulled on her sister's blouse.

"Ah, she needed the exercise anyway."

"She chased you for an hour straight…I hope she is okay."

"You guys are having way too much fun…" Naruto laughed nervously.

"By the way, Nii-san, who is that behind you?" Yume asked hesitantly. Sakura could see the cloud of worry in her eyes when Yume looked at her.

"Oh this is-"

"An enemy!" Yuki shouted.

"An enemy?" Sakura repeated.

"Yuki, what do you mean by 'an enemy'? Sakura isn't evil you know." Naruto claimed.

"Oh, so this is Sakura." Yume walked up to her carefully analyzing her face.

"Hello," Sakura gave her brightest smile.

"Not good enough…" She muttered.

"Huh?"

"She isn't good enough for you!" Yume ran back to Naruto tugging on his shirt.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh I see what's going on," Sakura giggled "You don't want me stealing your precious 'onii-chan' from you, huh?"

"She's looking at us like she's won already!" Yuki snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto was lost.

"Oh it's nothing," Sakura shrugged it off but the twins weren't about to let her off so easily.

"Naruto wouldn't like you because of that huge forehead of yours!" Yuki shouted.

_Twitch._

"Just because you're older than us doesn't give you any points, you…o-old lady!" Yume screamed.

_Twitch. Twitch._

"Yeah! Besides your boobs are no bigger than ours." Both said in unison.

_Twitch. Twitch. __**RAGE.**_

"Sakura-chan…?" Naruto noticed the zombie-like appearance Sakura had while she inched towards the girls. _Oh crap!_

"Sakura! They are only kids!" Naruto wrap his arms around her in an attempt to hold her back but she still managed to walk forward. _What kind of insane strength does she have? Was she always this strong?_

"Hey! No fair!" Yume and Yuki flew towards Naruto and pulled him off Sakura by tackling him to the ground.

"As you can see, they are quite taken with me," Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his usual goofy smile.

Maybe it was the smile, maybe it was the fact that she was getting frustrated over kids but Sakura lost all the anger she had been feeling. For the time being, she should remain impassive about the whole thing. And so she tried to ignore the faces the girls made at her and the frequent 'sticking their tongues out' at her. She tried.

Just then the girls hugged Naruto's face, just to spite her. Again, she tried. But when they each kissed his cheek, Naruto knew it was time to go before he lost them both to the raging monster in front of them.

"Um, Sakura-chan?" On their way up the stairs, Naruto meekly spoke up "I think your forehead is lovely."

"…thanks." Sakura genuinely smiled. _That's right._ She shouldn't have let what those girls did bother her. In Naruto's mind she was special.

"And about your boobs-"

"Don't go there."

* * *

><p>"Konohamaru! You in there?" Naruto pushed the door slowly "Wait here Sakura-chan."<p>

He pushed the door open and momentarily stepped back allowing the pail of chalk dust to fall on the floor.

"Aww man," A childish voice cried out "I was sure you'd fall for it this time."

"You think you could get me with a pathetic gag like this?" Naruto grinned.

"Of course!" A small boy (looked 12) appeared from the dark corridor of the room, wearing a very Naruto-like grin. He had short spiky brown hair and black eyes. He also had a small chip in his tooth. He wore a yellow shirt with the Konoha leaf symbol in red, grey shorts, and a long blue scarf that reached his feet.

"Commence the attack!"

"Open fire," A girl no older than the boy appeared pelting what seemed like tiny nuts at Naruto. She had orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails. She also has red oval markings on her cheeks. She wore a red tank-top over a pink t-shirt layered at the bottom; her pants are grey and she wears the traditional ninja sandals.

"I'm still not sure about this!" A boy, who appeared to be very sleepy, and with a drip of snot hanging from his nose, copied the actions of the girl. He had dark brown hair, wore glasses over his dark brown eyes wearing a plain black shirt with white pants.

"Ohohoho, you think you can defeat me with these…nuts?" Naruto couldn't help but chuckled at the projectiles. With lightning fast reflexes, he caught ever single nut that they threw at him and deposited them in the chalk pail.

"Whoa." the girl was surprised.

"As expected of Nii-san." Konohamaru gave a respectful nod.

"Now," Naruto scanned the interior of the room "Didn't Yui-nee-san clean this house, just yesterday?" The children froze.

"Kono, you got some cleaning to do."

"Never! Tactical retreat!"

"Oh no you don't!" Before the children could get away, Naruto rushed up and grabbed the girl placing her on his shoulders "Gotcha!"

"Noooooo! Konohamaru help!"

"Oh no! He's got Moegi!" Konohamaru halted his retreat.

"What should we do?" The other boy asked.

"We leave no man down! So charge!" Both boys jumped onto Naruto's pant leg and struggled to pull him down.

"You guys will have to try harder than that to put me down!"

"Um, Onii-chan," Moegi tapped Naruto's head.

"What's up?"

"It's been bothering me for a while now, but who is that girl in the front door?" She pointed towards Sakura.

"This is why I stopped here in the first place," Naruto walked towards Sakura (carrying the boys with him) "This is Sakura Haruno, a classmate of mine."

"It's nice to meet you all." Sakura waved slightly amused at the scene that unfolded infront of her. She never knew that Naruto had such a way with kids. It's like he was in perfect sync with them. Maybe it was because he was still a kid himself.

"My name is Moegi!"

"Konohamaru."

"U-udon."

"Great, all of you are introduced." Naruto smiled.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Konohamaru asked flatly.

"She isn't my girlfriend!"

"But you talk about her all the time."

"Quiet Udon!" Naruto snapped "Um, I happened to mention your name around them. Once or twice."

"You mean every day right?"

"Quiet you!" Naruto grabbed Konohamaru's by the neck and drilled his fist into his head.

"Ahhh! I give I give."

"That'll learn ya," Naruto snorted before he gently put Moegi down. "Alright, it's time for us to go."

"Aww come on, play with us a bit more." Moegi tugged on his shirt with pleading eyes.

"Yeah, you still owe you for that time you ate my ramen!" Even Konohamaru still wanted to play.

"That was one time! And I gave you mine the day after!"

"So?"

"Oh boy," Naruto shook his head "I have something important to talk about with Sakura-chan."

"Oh I see how it is," Konohamaru grinned "You just want time to make out with your girlfriend!" Konohamaru mocked.

"Naruto and Sakura sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Both Naruto and Sakura flushed red.

"First comes love then comes marriage then comes little big-foreheaded Naruto in a baby-"

Without warning, Konohamaru felt something like no other. An indescribably feeling of pure fear itched up his felt his soul leave his body for a split second.

_What the heck?_

When he looked up, he noticed that Sakura had already made her way to him with a gentle smile on her face carrying an aura that didn't match her face at all. It was frightening.

"Please don't mock us like that, ok 3?"

Konohamaru could have actually seen the heart.

"…I apologize for my mockery."

"Good boy." Sakura turned away and walked up to Naruto "Let's go."

Naruto looked to Konohamaru, to Moegi then Udon and back to Sakura. Everyone had the same ghost-like appearance. They all felt it. Naruto swore from the bottom of his heart that he would try not to anger her…ever again.

"You sure know how to pick them Nii-san…"

"What was that?"

Konohamaru could see the fires of hell burning in the background. "Nothing! I'm sorry! Later Nii-san!" Konohamaru slammed the door shut. He was never going to live this down. Neither were the others.

"I think you just scarred them…and me for life…"

"I'm sensitive about my forehead you know." Sakura pouted.

"I thought you would have gotten over that by now." Naruto replied non-chalet as he climbed the stairs.

"Well yeah but-" Sakura's eyes' widened to the size of dinner plates "How did you know I was sensitive about my forehead? I don't remember telling you anything about it."

"Oh um, I overheard….um…Ino? Yeah, Ino was talking about it and I overheard."

"That pig…"

"Anyway! Next stop, my room."

_Sorry, Ino for I told a lie about you. Don't hate me._

* * *

><p>"I think you missed a spot…" Sakura's eyebrows twitched.<p>

"What? Where?"

"There on the table. It's the only space that doesn't have your junk all over it!" Sakura snapped. Clutter, so much clutter. Sakura had never seen a more disorganized room in her life! There were empty ramen cups, soda bottles, clothes and more than one brand of chocolate bar scattered across the living room alone.

"Why don't you try cleaning your house? It might make it, I dunno, more livable?"

"Its fine the way it is. I can find my stuff easier this way."

"No. If we are going to talk here, you had better clean it first." Sakura placed her hands on her hips. No way she was going to converse in this cesspool of filth.

"But-"

"No buts. Clean."

"Fine, we'll talk and clean."

"Fine by me. We're going to need the broom, mop, disinfectant and air-sanitizer….lots and lots of air sanitizer."

_..._

"So…"

"So?"

"What did you bring me here for? It certainly wasn't to clean." Sakura couldn't help but bring it up. Though she tried to hide it, the entire time it was eating at her slowly. She had to know what was going on.

"Yeah…" Naruto paused for a minute before he started speaking "Sakura-chan, what I'm about to tell you isn't easy so just bare with me."

She nodded.

"Everyone in the apartment complex is like family to me. I love them all even with their quirks. I've grown attached to them over the years, which is why I do what I do now. It's all for them."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll start with Ebisu. He…is a doctor. Weird, I know. I could never picture him as one but he is one of the greatest I know, besides Tsunade of course."

"You still have to tell me how you know her."

"I will." He smiled "But right now he doesn't have a job and probably never will."

"Why's that?"

"A scandal caused by one of his patients." Sakura listened as patiently and attentively as she could. "A favorite patient of his sued him for messing up her surgery which she said had some 'adverse effects' on her body. I never read the paper or paid attention to those long names of effects so I don't know what happened. But that didn't matter. She fabricated the whole thing anyway."

Naruto reorganized the couch as he spoke without any hints of showing any emotion.

"After all ways said and done, he lost all his money, his job and any chance of getting one in this town. All he can do now is wonder where he went wrong in life."

"What happened to the girl who framed him?"

"Oh, she's doing fine I suppose. She couldn't be happier with her life now that she has a big family of idiots to take care of. It will be even bigger if more people come here though…"

"Wait, she lives here?" Sakura asked, slightly surprised.

"You met her just now you know."

"Wait, Yui? Why would she…she seemed so nice…"

"She is." Naruto paused as he cleared the table "Turns out that some mob boss was using her to extract money from people all over the city. Ebisu was unlucky enough to be his next victim."

"It was strange finding her sobbing her eyes out at a bar the next day. She was on the edge. I don't blame her. The same night of the trial, her father was murderer by the very mob boss that promised to end his debt. She apologized so much that night. It got through to Ebisu. He felt no hatred towards her when she spoke to him."

"Rather, he was enraged that 'a dirty rotten snake-in-the-grass' would use such a lovely woman like that. One of his drinking buddies and fellow pervert, was happy enough to join him as well as a few other residents to go teach the mobster a lesson. Ah, memories. I remember that night like it was the back of my hand. I had so many stitches Ebisu swore that I would have threat for blood."

"You were in the middle of all that?"

"How could I miss something like that?" Naruto removed the dirty cups of ramen and put them into trash bags "After we beat him senseless, he agreed to leave her alone. But even with her new found freedom she wanted to help Ebisu for wronging him. He said that he was fine but she insisted. And so now she lives here. The two are great friends now."

"Well that ended well enough, I suppose." Sakura swept the living room clearing out all the dust "Do the twins have a similar story?"

"No. It's more of a family issue." Naruto scratched his head before he got back to cleaning "They live alone in that small apartment of theirs."

"What? Where are their parents?"

"Somewhere." Naruto scoffed "Their father is an alcoholic and their mother is a woman who can't handle responsibility. They blame each other for their own mistakes and argue about it day and night. It was too much for the twins. They did the only thing they could."

"Ran away…" Sakura muttered.

"They lived in a cardboard box house somewhere near the great river. That got destroyed when a group of thugs attacked an idiot fighter for 'looking at them wrong'. After he got rid of the thugs, he apologized to them. They explained their situation and the boy promised to take care of them. At first they didn't trust him. They went so far to make his life a living hell but eventually they saw that he meant what he said so they opened up to him."

"He gave them what remained of the life they had. He gave them a home, he gave them food and clothing and even sent them to school."

"That idiot fighter is you isn't it?"

Rather than answer he went on with his story."Going to school was a big problem with them you know. They never went much because of their parent's negligence but look at them now."

Sakura noticed that Naruto had a smile similar to that of her mother when she was proud of Hana. "Getting excited to do their homework, bugging the staff and getting excited over going back for another day of fun."

"You look a lot like a parent right now." She had to admit, Naruto could make a mature face when he wanted. The only thing she didn't get was why she couldn't take her eyes off him when he did.

"Parent? Me? Nah," Naruto waved his hand "Yui-nee-chan is the one taking care of everything for the kids."

Sakura was almost afraid to ask.

"Speaking of kids…what about Konohamaru and his friends?"

Naruto seemed hesitant to speak.

"It's been 9 years since I came here with my Godfather." Naruto moved to stare out his window.

_Godfather? Not parents? That must have meant that…_

"You've never really spoken about him." _Or them…_

"Not much to say about him besides the fact that he is a drunk and a pervert. Also, he isn't here." Naruto returned to his duties, grabbing the mop and wiping the floor. "He comes home maybe once every three months. He likes to travel a lot. He sends me stuff every month- money, gifts, books."

"Do you actually read those?"

"He's a porn novelist."

"Forget I asked…" Sakura regretted asking.

"Anyway, he took me here to meet a friend of his Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was Konohamaru's grandfather and the most amazing man I ever knew." Sakura stopped cleaning. Naruto was finally showing emotion, but it wasn't an emotion she enjoyed.

"Udon, Moegi and countless others here are orphans. Sarutobi-sensei found them all and brought them here. He was the caretaker of this place. It didn't matter what kind of background you had, he would take care of you regardless. He treated everyone here as his own children." Naruto spoke bitterly.

"He was one of the few people who actually saw me for me. Not the monster that people made me out to be. For a time being, I thought they were right. But he taught me otherwise. He taught me how to believe in myself. He taught me that people don't have the right to define who Naruto Uzumaki is, only I can."

"He knew I got into fights daily because of my rash personality. He told me that I rushed in without thinking about the consequences way too much. I still do it now. So he taught me a few things. 'I didn't teach you how to fight; I taught you how to defend myself!' or something like that" He chuckled bitterly "He made me who I am today."

"He seems like a great man."

"He was, but he was still old. I thought he had a lot of life left in him since he could still kick my ass in his 80's but one day…he just…"

Sakura dropped what she was doing immediately and rushed over to him placing her hands on his back. "I'm sorry Naruto…"

"I am Kamikaze, undefeated champion of the Akatsuki Underground Fighting Area. I fight for money, I hurt people for money I do a lot of things I don't enjoy but it's all to provide for the family that he left behind. He always told me that if he ever had an accident and couldn't take care of everyone, that I shouldn't feel obliged to do it myself. He said it would eventually kill me on the inside."

Naruto gritted his teeth roughly as he turned to Sakura.

"Sakura, I know you don't want me to get hurt but I have to do what I can. If I don't I wouldn't be able to support the family he built over the years. If I didn't take care of them, who would?"

"Naruto…" Sakura noticed that he began to tear up.

"I entered that god awful place because I didn't know what else to do! It paid well enough so I'd have enough money for everyone. I was young, I was stupid I know but if I had the choice I would still do it again."

"Ebisu refuses to take money from me without reason. Since he is a doctor and I have constant bruises and wounds from my fights, he agreed to become my personal doctor. At first he didn't agree with it. Who would? I mean what was 14 year old boy doing in a fight club? But he realized that he needed the money and I needed a doctor I could trust. I can still see the guilt in his eyes when he treats me. It kills him on the inside but he knows that my cause is right."

"The kids…God the kids. I can't imagine what would happen to them if I couldn't get the simplest of things for them. They know I work hard to give them what they need but they never once thought of where I was getting it. I'm grateful of that. As long as they can go to school, as long as they have food to eat, as long as they can live a normal life smiling without worry, that's something I can live with regardless of the pains I suffer."

"Naruto…"

Now it all made sense. Sasuke's anger 'You're killing yourself for people that you barely know!' but Sasuke was wrong. Naruto did know them. It was what pushed him to do what he did. Naruto was solely providing for all of them with the money he earned from his fights. He obviously didn't like it but it paid enough for him and everyone else to get by. It was enough to keep everyone off the streets.

"Naruto I understand what you're saying but…you're killing yourself by doing this." But even so, Sakura didn't want to see Naruto get hurt. She didn't enjoy the thought of him disappearing one day because of one fight gone wrong.

"This is why people think you're a delinquent, because they saw you at the fight club?" Naruto didn't respond. It angered her. People were placing labels on him without even trying to understand him. Sakura cursed herself for almost believing he was. He was destroying his life and his reputation and it wasn't doing him any good.

"Naruto you can't keep this up forever…eventually you'll have to stop otherwise you'll…." Sakura looked down, unable to look him in the eye anymore.

"I know…but I don't have any other choice."

"Of course you do! There is always another way!" Sakura gripped tightly on his shirt.

"Like what?" Naruto shouted.

"I don't know. You can send the kids to an orphanage and help Ebisu find a job in another city."

"Sakura, they are the only family I know! The only people I can trust! The only people who actually care about me! They are all I have left in this world and…I don't want to see them gone." The tears were now flooding out of Naruto's eyes.

"I enjoy coming back home just to hear Yui-nee-chan say 'Welcome home'. I enjoy playing with the kids and joking around with Ebisu. I love eating ramen with my friends Sai and Yuuji. I don't want to be alone…not anymore."

It wasn't only a problem of find a better solution, Naruto simply didn't want to be alone. He selfishly and desperately didn't want to lose what family he had left. But who could blame him? He was a guy who gave so much to so many people. Didn't he deserve to be selfish?

"Naruto…you're not alone." Sakura wiped the tears from his face with a sincere smile and a caring gaze.

"What do you mean…?"

Sakura wrapped her arms around waist and pressed against him, holding him in a tight embrace as if she was never planning to let him go.

"You're not alone. Not anymore. Not ever again."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope this sheds some light on the situation~_


	9. Friends Like No Other

_0-0-0  
><em>

_Friends_

_0-0-0  
><em>

Naruto's eyes shot open from the bed, his breathing ragged and his face drenched in sweat. Suddenly he felt a frightening amount of pain spread through his body; he had to cover his mouth with both hands to prevent himself from screaming but even that hurt. He calmed down and slowly pressed his back against the bed. The memories of the fight the night before flashed through his head. Just how many blows did he take? He couldn't count. Naruto just figured he was blacking out from time to time. One moment he was leaving the fight and the next thing he remembered was heading to school. Just then the door opened and a familiar face walked in.

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I heard you passed out on your way to class." Sakura took a sit across from Naruto's bed, and eyed him suspiciously "I thought we agreed that we were going to walk to school together."

"Ah, sorry." Naruto scanned the room, noticing the school nurse was busying herself with her magazine. "I kinda blacked out from my fight last night to this morning. Don't really remember anything."

Sakura audibly sighed. Naruto was slightly taken aback when Sakura's face entered his line of vision. She pressed her forehead against his to check his temperature, but even Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit hot. Her dazzling jade eyes pulled him in and her clear skin seemed to shine. _Oh, it's just sweat._ _She must have ran here._

She was beautiful; there was no doubt about that.

"I knew I should have been there last night!" Her brows furrowed "You have a fever and you look exhausted to begin with. Just what were you thinking last night?"

"I'm not the type that thinks. I'm more of a man of action, like a secret agent."

"More like an undercover dumbass." Sakura inhaled deeply "Who do you think has to take care of you afterwards?"

"Ebisu and you." He answered hesitantly.

"Exactly."

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time Naruto?" A harsh voice spoke up. Naruto slowly turned to face the principal who looked none too happy.

"What are you doing here Baa-" _Glare._ "Principal Tsunade."

"I heard you were being a buffoon again and fainted in the hallway so I took a break from my duties and came to check up on your sorry ass."

"You mean you just ran away from your work, right?" Naruto sighed.

"Shut up," Tsunade walked up Naruto and inspected him. "Can you even walk? You look like Jiraiya after I beat him down for harassing me at the bar." Naruto remembered that day. Not even Jiraiya's mother could have recognized him after that.

Naruto quickly nodded as he got up and began walking across the room the smile still plastered on his face. Both Sakura and Tsunade furrowed their brow. Sakura got off her chair and stood close to Naruto as if she were waiting for something. Naruto was totally clueless about why she did so.

"Doesn't hurt as much as you think," Naruto lied. His body ached, his head hurt and his legs were screaming.

If there was one thing Naruto hated were hospitals. The different smells, the rude nurses, the rough doctors and last but not least the needles. He felt like if he stayed there for a few days they would eventually come to him, needles in hand but most of all he couldn't stay here. He knew Sakura and Tsunade would send him to the hospital if he showed how bad his body was.

"Whatever kid." Tsunade scoffed before she left the room. It was there that Naruto's weakness got to him. His legs gave way entirely but strangely he didn't fall to the floor. Sakura was already by his side his arm over her shoulder as she held him up.

"You can fool her Naruto but you can't fool me." Sakura whispered to Naruto in hopes that the Nurse didn't just see that "Just what you are doing? You're going to get yourself killed like this!"

"Sakura…," Naruto whispered through his heavy panting, with beads of sweat forming on his brow "I'm sorry but I can't afford to be slowed down, you know that."

"Fine but we're going home."

"We're going to your house?"

"No! I'm taking you to Ebisu!" Sakura fumed.

"I'll be taking the dumbass here to class." The nurse vaguely nodded, still paying them no mind as the two walked out.

Little did the two know that they were being watched by a particularly nosey blonde female as they left the school compound. "Sakura and…Naruto?" The blonde whispered to particularly no one.

* * *

><p>"Ok you two it's time to fess up!"<p>

It was an ordinary day at the lunch table until Ino shouted that from the blue. The entire gang was there but her question was directed at only two in particular. The two in question were stumped as to what she meant. Naruto was half way through his ramen, before he was forced to stop and Sakura was busy reading a first aid booklet before she put it down.

"Hah…?" Both replied.

"I know what's going on you two and I think it's about time that you told all of us."

"In English Ino." Sakura remarked.

"You two are dating!" Sakura's eyes flew open and Naruto almost choked on his Ramen.

"What are you saying?"

"Isn't it true?" Ino pressed.

"No!" Both replied in unison.

"Then explain to me this." Ino paused for a minute as she rummaged through her brain.

"Since last month, you two have been coming to and from school _together. _I know you've been going to his house to wake him up every morning and I know you visit his house every afternoon, don't you?"

_Were you following us or something!_

"Well, Naruto's neighbors are really fun people and I kinda grew attached to them (no lie). And about the early morning wake ups, um, Naruto - the lazy bastard that he is - asked me to do it so he wouldn't be late for school." Sakura managed a smile.

"What? I never asked you to-" Naruto stopped mid-sentence on a count of Sakura elbowing him in the ribs "Yeah, I couldn't get up early enough for school, so I asked."

Sakura's actual reason was to check if Naruto was well enough to go to school that very morning, as well as to wake him up for school if he was.

"You two are _always_ together now-a-days, like two peas in a pod. You barely have time for us! We don't even hang out as much we did before!"

"That's because…" Sakura tried to come up with an excuse but Ino just went on.

"As if that wasn't proof enough, whenever Naruto takes the day off you _always_ seem to have an excuse of some sort to cover for him! There are even days when neither of you come to school!"

_That's because he gets really injured and I have to take care of him before he kills himself_.

"You even took up first aid recently!" Sakura hid the book behind her back "I thought you said 'Nursing wasn't my sort of thing!'"

"Well more and more people are getting hurt recently, I just want to be ready for such an occasion…"

"Doesn't Naruto get into a lot of fights, and I mean a lot of fights." Ino practically had Sakura cornered "Any chance that you picked it up to help him?"

"Er, I, um…"

"Come on Ino, you're backing her into a corner." Naruto rose up to rescue her "Give the girl a break."

"Here comes his paternal instinct to protect his woman." Ino grinned.

"Hey!"

"Come on Ino, what do you want us to say?" Sakura sighed. She had had enough of this but she wasn't going to tell Ino about what Naruto got into on a daily basis.

"Then agree to meet us at my house on Saturday for a girl's day out. We haven't had one of those in like, forever."

"If that's what you wanted then say so from the beginning, geez."

"But!" Ino paused grinning from ear to ear "You have to agree to do whatever we say on that day."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's punishment for ignoring us."

"I didn't ignore you!" Sakura eyed Naruto.

_Help me out here! It's your fault that they are like this._

_What? I haven't done anything! Even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say to them. Ino would chew me out for even trying._

_Trying is better than doing nothing!_

"Oh, how cute. They're having a mental conversation." Tenten giggled.

"Stop that! I'm talking to you here!"

"Ah, fine." Sakura gave in. It was the only way to get Ino to stop. If she didn't have her way everything would go to hell dragging down as many people as she possibly could.

Sakura felt highly uneasy about the devilish grin Ino had plastered over her face. She knew Ino had planned something for her. _Was she going to interrogate me about my relationship with Naruto? _That seemed like a plausible answer. If only Sakura had known what Ino had planned, it would have prevented her from agreeing to Ino's questionable terms.

* * *

><p>"So…why are we here again?" Sakura couldn't help but raise her voice. Her shoulders shivered and her eyes twitched depicting how totally frustrated she was.<p>

It wasn't everyday that they went out on an all girl's day out, but when they did it usually involved shopping and the occasional makeup session at a Salon. But Sakura would never guess that they were spending their girl's day out in front of Naruto's apartment complex.

"Because I told you to take us here?" Ino grinned from ear to ear. She had planned this from the beginning. She didn't know why Sakura didn't figure it out sooner.

"We wanted to see Naruto house, silly. We were always curious why you always came here, and to what you were doing, but that's for another day." She sang in a lively tune.

"I can't help but feel you're misunderstanding why I come here…"

"We weren't thinking that you were doing anything bad with Naruto-kun, it's just, er, um," Hinata's entire face colored red. What could she possibly be thinking she and Naruto did here? Sakura had an idea but she didn't want to bring it up. It would have made the situation worse.

"Come on guys! Let's get out of here." Sakura begged but they weren't planning on leaving.

"No. You said you'd do anything we said so lead on, Mrs. Uzumaki!" Ino commanded.

"One of these days, I'll get you guys." Sakura complained but she led them up the stairs regardless.

"Sakura, is it me, or are we being stared at?" Tenten asked, a bit freaked out. Every door they passed opened up slightly and she could feel the stares on their back.

"Just ignore them. As long as I'm here they won't so much as speak to you." Sakura answered non-chalet.

"Are they dangerous or something?" Hinata asked, closing the distance between her and Sakura. Sakura couldn't blame her for being frightened on her first time here.

"No, they just don't like strangers." In actuality, all of the people here were just protective of each other. They knew that Naruto got into a lot of trouble and were ready to beat down anyone who would want to hurt him which would explain why they were so weary of the girl's presence.

"We're here." Sakura knocked lightly on a large orange door "Naruto, its Sakura. Open up."

After a few seconds, the door opened up "I've already told you that you don't need to knock-" The blonde froze "Uh, hi guys. What are you all doing here?"

Mysteriously, the girls froze as well. Naruto followed their heated gaze to his body –particularly his naked muscular torso "Uh, guys?"

"Wow, I knew you were muscular but…wow," Tenten was impressed. She had never seen a teenager her age so…herculean. The girls stared intently as the sweat glistened off his rock hard body. Ino's entranced face was no different from Tenten's while Hinata's face was ever so red, she looked like she was about to pass out.

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry Naruto, they kind of forced me to bring them here," Sakura managed to keep her temper down but the girl's staring was getting to her.

"Oh, I don't mind but I thought that since you were having a girl's day, I thought I'd invite a few friends over."

"Oh, more of your friends? If they're as hefty as you, lead the way!" Ino smiled. _She wasn't even trying to hide her intentions…_

"And if you don't mind go put on a shirt. _Like, now._" Sakura glared. Naruto cringed and headed to his room.

"Fine, just take them to the living. I'll be right back."

"Geez, and I just cleaned this place yesterday…" Sakura muttered as she took the girls to the living room. Naruto's apartment wasn't the biggest in the complex but it was large enough for more than enough people to enjoy themselves in the living room. It was there that turned to her frozen friends "What's wrong?"

"What are you four doing here?" A voice that could be no other than Sasuke Uchiha's rang through Sakura's ears.

"I could ask you the- why the hell aren't any of your wearing a shirt!"

When Sakura turned, she was greeted by two muscular bodies drenched in sweat. One was no other than Sasuke, and the other a pale boy with dark hair similar to that of Sasuke's. The two were apparently playing a video game while they kept themselves cool with Naruto's fan.

"The idiot's AC broke down a few minutes ago and we were left with no choice but to strip. Got a problem?"

"No problem here." Ino blocked Sakura's mouth before she could answer. "So, Sasuke-kun, who is your friend?"

"Since when we're you under the impression that you could call me that?"

"Its fine isn't it?"

"Whatever, this is Naruto's friend." Sasuke returned to his game.

"As cold as ever I see…"

"Hello, my name is Sai. It's nice to meet you all." He smiled.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka. You can call me Ino-chan." She returned his smile with one of her own.

"You can call me Tenten."

"Ah, I'm Hinata Hyuga, pleased to meet you." She bowed.

"Oh, I see you guys have been acquainted," Naruto came out from the back room sporting a white shirt with a spiral in the front. "Wait, Sai hasn't told you anything weird has he?"

"No. Why would you think that?"

"He is under the impression that my choice of nicknames is 'weird' as he puts it."

"It's downright annoying." Sasuke remarked.

"Oh! You give people nicknames? Do me, do me!" Tenten squealed.

"Um, Tenten I wouldn't recommend that." Sakura

"Why?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello, my name is Sai. It's nice to meet you." <em>

"_Hi there, I'm Sakura Haruno."_

"_Excuse me, but do you mind if I give you a nickname?"_

"_Um, Sakura I wouldn't." Naruto warned._

"_Oh come on, it can't be that bad." _

"_I read from one of my books that you establish a friendship once you give people a nickname based on their looks or personality. But since I don't know you that well I've give you one based on your appearance if you don't mind."_

"_Go ahead." _

"_Sakura-chan…" Naruto was afraid.  
><em>

_Sai looked deeply into her eyes, scanning her face and clothing. He thought long and hard before he came out with it. _

"_What was that? I didn't quite hear you." Sakura cupped her ear and inched closer to him.  
><em>

"_I apologize. I'll say it again. I called you an ugly whore."_

"_I see." She smiled._

"_Sai you bastard! Oh crap…." Naruto pressed his hands down on her shoulders "Run! I'll hold her off!" _

"_Huh? Why?" _

_It happened to quickly, Sai failed to register what had happen to him. He had to relive the moment multiple times in his head to get the full picture. In 0.5 seconds, Sakura slapped Naruto 3 times and slammed him against the door before she delivered the most devastating slap to Sai's face ever recorded in history causing him to spin 4 times in the air before he hit the ground. _

* * *

><p>"I have my reasons for that." Sakura groaned remembering the scene.<p>

"I shall do it another time then." Sai remarked remembering the slap. _Maybe when Sakura isn't around_.

"So Sai, what do you do?" Ino asked full of curiosity "I haven't seen you at school."

"I do not attend school. I graduated ahead of my class last year and decided to become a painter."

"Oh wow, I'd like to see some of your work."

"Maybe next time. I'll be busy this week with a new project but your free to come next week. Naruto will show you my room when the time comes."

"Great."

_Well at least she was happy, _Sakura thought.

Suddenly a cell phone rang. Sasuke grabbed his phone from his pants pocket and paced around the room."Yeah? What? No. Why do I have to listen to you? Ugh, Fine."

"I have to go, the ingrate is calling me."

"Tell him I said hi," Naruto groaned through the piece of bread in his mouth.

"I will do no such thing. Later trash."

"I think I'll leave as well." Sai stood up "I have some paintings to finish up before the dead line. Again, it was pleasure to meet you ladies." He smiled his usual creepy grin before he walked out.

"Bye bye."

"So….what now?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing. All I had planned for today was hanging out with the guys. So I guess I'll head out for a walk? Either that or take a nap." Naruto scratched the back of his head "What about you girls?"

"We'll since we're done here, why not continue with our girl's day out? Just shop for new clothes and anything else we could get our hands on." Ino replied.

"And I know you wouldn't want to be caught up in our 'all girl's shopping day', so we'll see you later ok?" Tenten stretched her limbs. Sitting down for long periods weren't exactly good for her body.

"Ah, but Naruto-kun can come along can't he?" Hinata spoke up meekly. Naruto's face gleamed.

"Hinata, the point was that it was an all _'girls'_ shopping day." Ino stepped in.

"Wait, no he can come along. He won't help with the shopping but there are other things he can help with." Sakura smiled. Naruto had no idea what else he could possibly help with.

"Alright then! Let's get a move on!" Naruto got behind the girls and began to push them all.

* * *

><p>"This is…" Naruto sighed heavily. 'Other things he can help with' meant making him carry all the bags. He was up to his armpits in boxes. How much were they going to spend? They were burning more money than Naruto ever used in a week.<p>

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun…if I had known this was what Sakura-chan meant I wouldn't have suggested bringing you along." Hinata bowed. _Geez, she didn't have to do that._

"Since I had nothing else planned for the rest of the afternoon, its fine." Naruto gave a little smile.

"But…but…"

_She really isn't going to stop is she? Alright, something to take her mind off it._

"What about that dress Hinata? I'm sure it would look good on you." Naruto used his head to point a random dress. Hinata followed his direction and her entire face turned red. He swore he could see steam coming out. Naruto turned to the dress and was amazed that people even made dresses like that. Hinata's gaze was fixed on the dress with slits on the side. Not only were there slits but it was strapless and exposed the wearers back. Naruto turned his gaze back to Hinata and couldn't help but imagine her in it. He gulped and Hinata heard.

"Naruto-kun…please don't look at me like that…" Hinata looked away. She couldn't take much more of this. She fought herself to stay conscious.

"Oh, Naruto, you're a dirty boy for sighting Hinata up like that," Despite what she said Tenten was smiling all the way.

"Ah sorry…" He turned away as well.

"Just what are you trying to get her to wear!" Sakura's voice exploded in the shop. The next thing Naruto knew Sakura's fist was already in his face.

"Ah! The dresses!" Ino with lightning fast reflexes kicked Naruto's hands up launching all the boxes into the air; giving Sakura the go sign to land her fist deep into his head shooting him out of the shop and onto the street. All four girls caught all the boxes with the simplest of ease.

"That was a close one." Ino relaxed.

"If you had enough time to kick the boxes out of my hand why not pull me out of the way in the first place!" Naruto shouted.

"You deserved it you pervert." Sakura yelled. Why was she so angry? It's not like he touched her or anything.

"I didn't- ah forget it." Just then, Naruto could hear the faint whispers of the on lookers.

"_Is that him?"_

"_That's Naruto Uzumaki? The brutish fighter?"_

"_He should be arrested for all that he has done."_

"_I knew it! He was just a fool hearty youth who shameless flirted with any girl he pleased."_

"_I can't believe someone would raise a monster like him."_

"_I hope that person suffers for bringing a monster like that to our city."_

Oh, that was it. They could insult him on whatever they pleased but no one was insulting his the old man.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted but before he could say anything he felt warm hands wrap around his outstretched arms. Sakura held his arm and shook her head. Tenten grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Hinata walked up to him and began dusting off his T-shirt with a smile on her face. Just then Ino threw him a handkerchief.

"Clean yourself up loverboy." She smiled.

"Come on Naruto. Let's go." Sakura and Hinata each grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the shop. He was a bit taken a back. They knew he got into a lot of fights and that he was hated by half the population. Why were they still so nice to him? Even in public.

"But, about what those people said-"

"We know you're not a monster silly. A big lovable lug like you wouldn't hurt someone else unless he had a good reason right?" Tenten smiled, as she skipped back into the shop "We don't know the details but we trust you. You're our friend Naruto."

"Thank you…" _And I'm sorry._ Just then, he wore his usual grin. His irreplaceable friends were always there for him. And for that he could not thank them enough.

* * *

><p><em>Can't live with them, can't live without them.<em>


	10. Street Fighter

_| The Heart Arc |_

_Their mutual feelings unleashed._

* * *

><p><em>0~o~0<em>

_Street Fighter_

_0~o~0_

* * *

><p>The morning was like any other to Naruto Uzumaki. The alarm clock rang loudly, blasting into Naruto's ears. His head throbbed. As if by reflex, in his half-awoken state, his fingers searched for the button on top of the alarm clock that would stop the awful ringing noise. When he finally found the damned thing he relaxed. But there was still one problem; there was a knocking at the door followed by the sound of keys and finally the opening of the door.<p>

Naruto knew that only two people currently were in possession of his spare house keys but still he was weary of the intruder.

After a few minutes (which felt like hours to Naruto), a familiar pink haired girl entered his bedroom with a brand new outfit which literally left Naruto speechless. Her small slender body was covered with a sleeveless rose pink blouse with a cute white ribbon that stuck out in the front which hung over the medium length ivory skirt that she wore.

"Wake up!"

"Sakura-chan…?"

"What?" She asked bashfully, noticing his half dazed staring.

"…." Naruto just continued to stare at her with his mouth slightly ajar. She blushed shortly before she grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Come on, we're going for a walk!"

"…what?"

"Open your eyes, it isn't that early." She dragged him along. As they walked through the streets, for some reason, Naruto could have felt his heart beating in his chest regardless of his sleepy disposition.

"But I went to bed late last night since today had no school."

"Just because it's a school holiday doesn't mean you can laze off."

"Yes I can, and did."

"But isn't it nice to get some fresh air once in a while?"

"Not really." He scratched the back of his head as he yawned lazily.

"Come now," She placed her hands on her hips "You've been locked up in your room the entire week only making trips to and from school. You need to go out for a walk once in a while." Naruto looked at her disbelievingly.

"Is that why you woke me up at…8 in the morning…to go on a walk?"

"Basically."

"I'm going back." Naruto yawned loudly as he made his way back to his apartment.

"Naruto!" Sakura grabbed his arm "If you don't come with me, I'm never making my special chicken ramen for you again."

"Well come on! A bright new day awaits us." Naruto had already made his way past Sakura moving farther down the street. She giggled, _he is so easy_.

* * *

><p>Eventually on their stroll through Konoha, the two came across a shop filled to the brim with pianos.<p>

"Wow, what a cute model!" Sakura squealed as she saw a lavender pink piano.

"You play the piano?" Naruto asked curiously. He couldn't picture Sakura playing one of those.

"I…practiced once or twice at my relative's house before."

"I would have never guessed." Naruto chuckled "Jeez, look at what it costs…" It had so many zeros. One, three, five…

"It would go so well in my room. No wait, it would fit perfectly in my living room next to the couch."

"Wait, you're not planning on buying this thing, are you?" Naruto eyed her suspiciously. "You'll never be able to afford it on your current allowance, even if you get a job it would take months. Years even."

"I know. I'm not planning on buying it anytime soon but it's nice to dream isn't it?"

"I suppose, but do you really want it that much?"

"Well yeah, but I have other things to focus on my life right now."

"Like what?"

"Making sure you stay alive until you get out of high school." She stuck out her tongue at him. She might have meant it as a joke but those words stuck with Naruto. She was giving up her free time, her school work and her friends to be with him. All her dreams and goals were taking a back seat to him. He didn't want that.

"Hey Sakura..."

"Come on! Let's find another shop." The smile on her face was enough to make Naruto stop in his tracks. He didn't want to ruin what little happiness she had. If there was one thing he knew, it was that their relationship couldn't go on forever. He'd have to part with her one day, and one day soon.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the two stumbled across a fancy looking restaurant. Sakura seemed particularly interested in the establishment by the way her eyes lit up on sight. It looked like nothing special to Naruto but the name sounded familiar, The Hyuga Family Restaurant.<p>

"Oh, Naruto this is where Hinata works."

"She has a job?" Naruto looked at the place again; it was way too fancy for his tastes "I always thought she was rich."

"That doesn't mean she can't get a job, right?" Sakura grabbed his hand "Now come on. Let's go check up on her."

"Oh, Naruto-Kun, Sakura, what are you guys doing here?" Hinata, wearing an ordinary lavender purple blouse with a long white skirt with a similar colored apron, was the first person to greet them once they entered. Now the name made sense to Naruto. Her full name was Hinata Hyuga. It must have been her family's restaurant.

"Oh, we were just in the neighborhood." Sakura tried to shrug it off but Naruto wouldn't let her get away with it.

"Sakura wanted to spy on you working." Naruto smiled "You're doing a great job since so many people in here are smiling."

"Oh,um,thank you." She blushed slightly.

"Hinata, I can understand you want to chat with your friends but you are on duty." A cold voice ordered. Naruto immediately recognized the voice as none other than Neji Hyuga's.

_Figures that he works here too._

"Killjoy." Naruto muttered.

"I don't want to hear that coming from you, delinquent." Neji answered without opening his eyes. He held the menu close to his chest as he walked up to them. He was a waiter and so was Hinata apparently.

_These two were on such good terms? I thought Neji would want to beat his face in. _Sakura held her chin in her hand as she thought about it. After the chaos Naruto caused in the school, Neji should have been at his throat.

"Right." Hinata nodded "I'm kind of busy right now. So if you'll excuse me?"

"We were about to leave anyway." Sakura smiled. Hinata bowed and returned to the tables. On their way out, they couldn't help but overhear a fowl conversation.

"Hey baby, come here often." The man Hinata served stretched his arm out and firmly grabbed her bottom. At first she was lost, she hadn't known what happened but then it slowly sank into her brain.

"Ah, let go of me please!"

"It's just a little touch; don't make a fuss out of it."

Hinata blanked out for a moment. Her hand just reacted instinctively. "Don't touch me!" She roughly slapped him across the face.

"What the hell bitch?" The man got up, in a blind fury he held the girl by stringing her up by her arm.

"Hinata!" Neji cried.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto had appeared in front of the man with his enclosed fist aimed at the man's torso. He firmly but viciously pressed his hand against the man's stomach and within seconds the man was shot back into his sit and onto the floor. Naruto stretched his arms out immediately and caught the falling girl.

"You ok?" He asked still glaring at the downed man.

"Y-yeah," she vaguely responded.

"Touch her like that again and I'll make sure you won't be able to feel those fingers anymore." Naruto threatened grimly.

"What the-? How'd you- gah! I'll do whatever the hell I want punk!" He seemed intoxicated. When Naruto looked at his table, there was an empty glass of wine with his food mostly untouched.

"Hey man, you alright?" A worried gentleman walked up to the violent brute and offered a helping hand, but the brute simply pushed him away.

"Mind your own business!" Unfortunately for the gentleman, the brute shoved him into the nearing table tipping it over angering four men who were having their breakfast.

"Son of a bitch!" One of the four men swore "Watch it!"

He grabbed the gentleman and threw him back at the brute that knocked him into another table pissing off another set of men. Sakura could only watch in amazement at how one act of kindness could swirl up so much anger and hatred. Eventually everyone was at each other's neck as they began to fight. It wasn't long until the brutes targeted Naruto.

_Come on I'm carrying a girl here! _

Naruto hopped onto the back of a down man and jumped onto a table tipping it forward letting him slide forward, while the man chasing him met with the hard edge. Naruto ran, ducking and weaving through the crowds in hopes of getting Hinata to the front where Neji and Sakura were.

When Naruto finally got there, it was there that had a close look at the girl. Her long dark hair swayed each time she moved. Her cream colored skin seemingly glowed without any light nearby. Her clothing hugged her body, showing off her well curved and luscious body. The only word Naruto could use to describe her was 'Beautiful'.

"Um…?" She was beginning to color red under Naruto's insistent staring.

"Oh, sorry." Naruto looked away.

When Naruto turned back, he shivered at the number of men that were looking his way. He followed their gaze to, not him but the girls. Naruto clicked his teeth rather hard. He could practically feel their intentions. Naruto noticed the fear induced look on the girls' faces. He had to do something about that.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you." Naruto said calmly as he turned to face the crowd. The girls just stared at him in awe.

"I've been itching to teach these punks some respect. They've disrespected the Hyuga Family Restaurant." Neji calmly took his tie off and flew it onto a nearby table.

When they began pouring in through a scowl grew on both Naruto and Neji's face as they began fighting them off on instinct. There were so many it was hard for them to keep track of what was going on. They threw punches,, delivered kicks and even did a few wrestling moves but there was just no end to them.

In the midst of the fighting Naruto wondered if the girls were ok but just then three guys ganged up on him. Naruto instinctively took a step back. But just then, three large glass jugs smashed into their heads knocking them out instantly. When Naruto turned and looked over the bar, he saw the girls smiling at him.

"Those were some big words coming from a pipsqueak like you. 'I'll protect you' Hah. Let's see how well you can match up to these guns." He flexed his muscles. The main cause of the fight walked up to Naruto.

Naruto didn't reply. Naruto breathed slowly as he assumed his battle stance. The man came straight for him without any plan or strategy. A fatal move against Naruto. Naruto swiped his leg midway through the air that caused the man to back off instinctively before he rushed forward again.

Using the momentum from the kick, he spun and released another kick upwards notching the man's head upwards. His attack didn't stop there, he spun once more and swept his leg that tripped the man and caused him to lean forward. Naruto allowed himself to spin one final time, launching his foot straight into the man's throat momentarily closing his windpipe.

"Too easy." Naruto remarked as the man fell onto the floor gasping for air. It was there that Naruto noticed how hectic the fight was becoming.

"With this, we are even." Neji seemingly disappeared from the fight, only to reappear in front of the door opening it, "Now go. The police are already on their way. I can take care of the rest."

"Thanks, Pres." Naruto grinned.

"That's President Hyuga to you."

Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her out of the restaurant.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was all that?" Sakura asked, panting and heaving from the 5 block run from the restaurant.<p>

By now the siren's from the police cars died out, giving Sakura a moment of relief knowing they weren't after her. The two found themselves near the park on a bench just cooling off.

"That was a hit and run." Naruto chuckled nervously "They do something to piss me off. I hit them without thinking of the consequences then I run afterwards." Naruto slid down on the bench and stared into the vast blue sky "Sorry I dragged you into it."

"This happens often I take it?"

"More or less." He didn't look too happy.

"Don't worry too much about it. I was only moments away from hitting the guy myself. You were only a bit faster than I was." Sakura nudged him with her elbow, which seemed to cheer him up a bit.

"Thanks." He managed a smile, but out of the blue his stomach rumbled "By the way, I'm starving."

"Well, I did pull you out of your room without giving you breakfast first…" Sakura thought about it "Well, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Ramen!" Naruto replied. "Ow!"

"No ramen for breakfast!" She punched him.

"No need to get violent." _Damn her no ramen policy. "_Oh! We're close to a bakery/ice-cream parlor, which happens to serve the best snacks. We can get something there."

"I'm not so sure about having cake or ice-cream for breakfast is such a good idea."

"Says you." _Glare_ "Ok! I'll get a meat bun and you can get some yogurt, ok?"

"Yoghurt!" She beamed "Let's go!" She stood up and started walking without waiting for Naruto's respond. Naruto should have known that this was how she was going to act whenever Yoghurt was involved. He should have done this from the beginning.

Sakura wore an expression of bliss beside him as she enjoyed her sweet treat. Just watching her being happy made Naruto feel content. That and the tons of meat buns he ate.

They walked slowly down the dim tree lined walk way in park. They heard kid's voices here and there as they played in the wide park area. Eventually they came up to an empty park bench and so they decided to have a short break. They didn't talk. They just enjoyed each other's presence as they watched all the people gather, talk and play with each other.

"Didn't think someone like you would just walk out in the open like that."

Just then, a boy followed by a few others walked up to the two with grim expressions on their faces. He had dark wavy hair and his liquid topaz eyes gave a sinister gaze. Naruto was more than certain that he fought that guy once before. _Revenge? Typical._

"Yeah, well I had some free time so I decided to take a walk," Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand tightly and pulled her along. He hung his head in an effort to avoid facial contact "Now if you'll excuse us." The boy simply laughed for a moment before whispering.

"You aren't going to get away." Naruto's eyes widened as a small knife appeared boy's hand. Naruto acted on impulse as he dashed backwards.

"Listen! I don't want any trouble!"

"Well you found it!" The boy retorted with a grin.

"Sakura stay behind me!" Naruto ordered pulling the girl behind him.

"Too late!"

A large man appeared from the crowd behind Sakura wrapping his arms around her trapping her in a bear hug. Being much taller than she was he hoisted her off the ground. The man was shirtless showing off his large rippling muscles while he wore long black pants and brown shoes. He had short brown shaggy hair and dark brown eyes.

"_Get your filthy hands off her!" _

The large boy grinned smugly as he hugged Sakura tighter causing her to yelp out in pain.

Naruto's mind blanked out. He charged straight for the man without a second thought. The fury in his head and the anger in his heart grew until he couldn't feel any but hatred. But before he could do anything for her a long object was smashed into his stomach.

A hooded figure wearing a black vest and black pants reeled his bronze staff back, spinning it a few times before pointing it at Naruto. The figure then grabbed his hood and pulled it down. His eyes were a cool shade of cyan that seemed to match with his dark hair.

"Calm down, Kaze we didn't come here to kill your girlfriend," The topaz-eyed boy smiled "I can't say the same for you though."

Just then the hooded boy spun his staff and began an onslaught of furious jabs and swipes. Naruto ducked and weaved avoiding each blow his movements flowed smoothly with each strike. His mind was filled with questions. _If they are trying to kill me why do it out in the open where everyone can see? _His reckless train of thought came to a halt as Sakura cried out in pain. If he was going to get any answers he would have to ask them up front or beat it out of them. He liked the latter.

_Think Naruto think!_ Naruto eyes opened quickly as the blood began to gather in his brain. He scanned his surrounds, a pole, a 10 meter sprint to an alley and luck. That was all he needed.

_Naruto began his counter-_attack by charging for the boy with the pole. The boy retaliated by jabbing the pole at Naruto which was what he wanted. In a swift moment, he grabbed the pole preventing the boy from escaping his straight kick aimed at his face. Without much choice the boy dropped the pole and Naruto used it and charged towards the man who held Sakura.

"Sakura lift your legs to your chest!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

She followed his command, lifting her legs until her knees were pressing against her chest.

_Judging by this guy's height his family jewels should be right…here! _Naruto reeled the pole backwards and smashed it directly in boy's crotch.

The boy felt like time itself had stopped. He felt something die inside him that day. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his jaw dropped as he grabbed his crotch with his free hand, dropping Sakura and falling to the ground groaning in pain.

"Sakura run!" Naruto screamed as he turned to the other boys and began to fight them off.

"I can't just leave you here!"

"We will meet up later!" Naruto swung the pole like a crazed lunatic keeping the boys away "Now go!"

"Fine," She turned away, biting her lower lip bitterly and ran "You had better not get hurt! Promise me Naruto!"

"Of course." Naruto grinned.

As soon as he turned back one of the enormous men hit him with a clothesline. The thick muscular arm of the man slammed into his head crashing him into the ground below neck first. His body flipped from the impact of the ground causing him to fall onto his face. Naruto quickly got to his feet and broke into a mad tackle towards the monster of a man.

Dirt covered his body as he slammed his elbow into the man sending him reeling back. Stomach pain erupted into Naruto's mind. He remembered what Sakura told him about eating so many meat buns so he wasn't in the best of shape. But that didn't stop his momentum at all. He gritted his teeth and rammed his head into the man's chest.

The champion fighter then punched the man in the stomach once more before he raised his fists into the air and hammered Naruto in the back causing him to fall to his knees.

_Crap!_

The monster of a man continued his assault as he swung his massive fist intent on decapitating the boy. Naruto dodge by inches as he ducked beneath the man's arm. She gripped the pole tightly and rammed it into the man's ribs. The massive grunt roared in pain and hit Naruto with the back of his hand as he flailed around madly. The attack sent Naruto flying into the other two boys who were only watching.

'Promise me you won't get hurt!'_ Oh yeah. I can't get hurt._

The man made its way slowly to Naruto triumphantly to finish him off. With its guard completely down it was Naruto's perfect chance to restrain the beast from the back. He got up quickly, slipped behind him and slid his arms grabbing him in a Full Nelson. Naruto struggled with the man's tremendous size and strength as he lifted him up, but then Naruto bent his back downwards slamming him against the ground, German Suplex.

He had positioned it in such a way that he would slam the big one down on his friends. No way there were getting up from that. Naruto tore through the trees in the park before he entered the alleyway.

"_Get him!_" He heard the leader scream.

Naruto was then faced with another problem; the alleyway was a dead end. When he heard the trio (along with friends) closing in, he shook the hesitation from his body and began to run. He climbed the garbage bins with ease, and jumped onto the large dumpster and with his current momentum he pressed off and jumped onto an air conditioner fan. He pulled himself up, maintained his footing, balancing himself before he quickly placed his leg on the wall and kicked against it. He stretched his arms out and caught the edge of the neighboring building and pulled himself up.

"What the hell…?" He heard one of the boys.

"Is that kid a ninja or something?"

Naruto just grinned as he shouted "Believe it!"

* * *

><p>After 15 minutes of wandering the city after losing those bastards he finally remembered his cell phone and called Sakura. She was unhurt (which was a great relief to Naruto) and told him where she was and he rushed over to her.<p>

A lone girl sat on bench with a grim expression on her face. Naruto didn't bother asking what was wrong, he already knew. He just took a sit next to her and watched the people pass by. Sakura didn't look up; she just kept staring at the floor. Even though her gaze was too the floor she could feel the glares of the onlookers passing her by. It was all because of the bruised boy next to her. But she couldn't care less about them.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours. Only after the first hour did Sakura speak up.

"Was this…why you didn't come out of your apartment?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

It didn't take long for Sakura to figure out that Naruto knew something like this was going to happen. So naturally he would avoid causing trouble and staying away from those who wanted to hurt him but she forced him to come along. He wasn't one to look for trouble but it always found its way to him. This was another reason people kept labeling him.

_But that's so unfair…he didn't ask for any of this._

"Naruto, I'm sorry."

"What? Don't be. I'm used to this sort of thing."

"That doesn't make me feel any better…" Sakura finally had a good look at the whiskered boy next to her. Despite her warnings he still managed to get himself hurt. She took her handkerchief and wiped the dirt around his face and the semi-dried blood trickling down his forehead.

"It's ok Sakura. I mean, we had fun today, right? Ignoring all the near death situations, of course. We had snacks, took a walk through the park, and visited Hinata at work."

"Naruto…"

"To be honest, no one has ever done anything like this for me before. I know I don't say it often but thank you so much for caring about me all this time." Naruto turned to her with his usual goofy smile. Sakura felt her heart cringe.

"Naruto I promise you that I'll take you out again, but without all the fighting. Just the two of us, having fun." Naruto's eyes momentarily widened.

"…are you asking me out on a date?"

"…huh?" She hiccupped as her face flushed the deepest red he had ever seen. It even made him red in the face. "No, what I mean is, um, I-"

"I think it's a great idea." He paused "Just the two of us, without any distractions."

If there was ever a perfect moment between the two, Sakura knew this was it. His cool eyes seemed to sparkle and the world around them seemed to fade into the background. Sakura hadn't noticed it yet but she was inching towards him ever so slowly. When she realized it, he was moving closer to her as well. Sakura placed her hands against his chest in an attempt to hold him back but the closer he got the more she didn't want to push him away. It felt right.

Their lips were mere inches from each other, but as if fate were denying the two Naruto's eyes widened significantly before he pulled back. "Oh, hey Sakura-chan, you know I just remembered that I had something to do with Sasuke this afternoon so I can't continue our, um, walk."

"Oh." Sakura snapped out of her momentary daze. _What were we about to do…?_

"So I'll be seeing you ok?"

"Oh. Why don't I just come along with you? I've always wanted to see his house."

"No!" Sakura was startled by his sudden outburst "I mean, it's a guy thing. You wouldn't understand."

"You can tell me you know, I mean, we are friends, right?"

"Of course we are but there are things that only he and I should know, ok?"

It hurt her that he was still keeping her out.

"Ok." She managed a smile. A smile that touch slowly drained his body of feeling. His senses began to numb, and his sense of self decayed. He knew he hurt her, but he could always apologize later. For now he had something else to deal with.

"See you later Naruto."

"See ya." He waved smiling sweetly at her.

On her way home, she remembered the bitter look Naruto gave her as he waved her goodbye. Worrying about it wouldn't bring her any peace but what if it was a clue to a bigger problem? Something wasn't making sense.

_Naruto and I…were about to kiss, right? _Sakura colored red at the thought._ But why would he stop it like that? Was he shy? No, Naruto was anything but shy. Maybe he doesn't like me? No, If he didn't he wouldn't try to kiss me back. So why would he go out of his way to get rid of me…like…that…Oh no._

"No.."

She didn't want to believe it.

"No no no…"

She turned around and rushed back to the bench. It was empty. She frantically searched for her lug head but no matter where she did she couldn't find him. It was there that she saw a crowd of people staring into an alley way. The loud noises of fists colliding and bodies hitting the ground filled her ears. She ran as fast as she could to the alley way ignoring the traffic. Why hadn't she realized it sooner?

"Naruto!" She screamed as she entered the alleyway. Her expression softened when she laid eyes on the blonde fighter, but her heart froze over when she followed his eyes from her to a man on the ground pointing a black pistol at her.

"_Sakura!" _

The last thing she remembered from the scene was Naruto's voice and the sound of the bullet escaping the metallic barrel, as well, as the bright shade of red that filled her vision.


	11. Feelings Of The Heart

_Edit: I thought that the scene at the end could use some tweaking so I added/removed some stuff to make the scene feel more natural. The scene felt forced the way I had originally wrote it, but this time around it flows with the dialogue (I hope). Anyway, enjoy~!  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>o~o~o<em>

_Feelings Of The Heart_

_o~o~o  
><em>

Sakura ran swiftly, barreling through the alleyway diving in recklessly through the debris scattered across the floor ignoring the danger that more of those men might still be conscious. But she didn't care; she had to make sure Naruto was alive.

He was too wounded to be alive –taking five bullets of the gun to his chest, arm and leg. In a fit of Adrenaline, Naruto stomped roughly on the man's wrist breaking it indefinitely before he kicked his head into the wall. Afterwards he pressed his arm against the wall and slowly slid down. Sakura cringed as horror spread through her body and sped up her dash. When she got to him, she noticed that there was a small puddle that smelled faintly of metal.

"Hey…I was just thinking of you…" Naruto faintly smiled. Sakura felt part of her mind shatter. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, his eyes were dulled and his clothes drenched in blood. She noticed his left hand over a dark patch on his shirt. He was bleeding and badly.

"_911_! Someone please call 911!" She heard a woman scream at the top of her lungs. People were beginning to line up, all shocked and horrified at what they witnessed.

"You…you…" Sakura was speechless. A flash of emotions surged through her body interrupting her speech. _What could she say to him? What could she have done for him now that he needed her more than ever? Why was she so useless at a time of need? She always did things for him but when he needed her the most?_

"God! What were you thinking? This is too much even for you!" Sakura finally chose anger above all other emotions "If we can't stop the bleeding you might…!" Sakura stopped, not wanting to think of it.

"Sakura," Naruto weakly grabbed Sakura hand "It's ok…" He smiled.

"H-how can you smile at a time like this?" Sakura could feel the tears pouring out of her eyes. Naruto raised his hand and softly brushed her soft pink hair. Sakura closed her eyes hoping this was just a bad dream.

"This can't be happening."

"Sakura…." Sakura opened her eyes and looked down at him. He smiled, tears streaming down his face as he slowly spoke "I love you…be safe…"

With a bright smile his final words seem to fade into the background until his eyes slowly closed never to open again. His hand slid out of Sakura' grip and fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Naruto…? Come on…open your eyes…" Sakura shook his body. "You can't…you can't just leave me here…"

As if the gods themselves were crying, the sky darkened and rain came forth. Sakura' eyes dulled as she felt like her heart was forcefully ripped from her body. She continued to stare at him in hopes that he would just open his eyes and tell her everything was ok like he always did.

When reality hit her, all the emotions she held back resurfaced when she opened her mouth and screamed to the heavens above, her eyes drowning in her tears and the rain.

* * *

><p>"Woman, wake up."<p>

Sakura's weary eyes opened as they struggled to register her current surroundings - a white reception room with wall to wall people with angry eyes on their tired faces. _A hospital? Was it all a dream? No…it wasn't._

It was then that she took notice of the tall figure in front of her "Sasuke?"

"I take my eyes off you for one minute and you fall asleep," He said dryly, trying to hide the anger behind it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and his eyes narrowed when he responded.

"You called me here, fool."

"Oh," She replied hesitantly as the memories of the last few hours began to enter her mind's eye. From the moment she entered the hospital without much thought she dialed up the Uchiha who was more than unhappy to answer her call. "Right."

"Listen here." Sasuke was by now fed up with Sakura's attitude "The only reason I put up with you is because _Naruto_ asked me to."

Her entire being cringed at the sound of his name. As if fire burned away at her flesh, Sakura felt an exact burning in her heart; it ripped, scorched and tore through her soul. It wouldn't stop until it left nothing behind. She could feel the tears tugging behind her eyes. "Naruto…"

Sasuke's cold eyes darkened with frustration. "Don't you dare cry. You of all people have no right to cry for him."

Sakura hiccupped trying to keep her tears and emotions at bay. Sasuke continued on ignoring whatever emotion the girl was currently feeling. "I checked with the receptionist. Naruto is in the E.R undergoing surgery currently. She doesn't know how long it will take so I wouldn't bother staying here for much longer."

She didn't move. She kept her head downcast looking to floor as if it would provide some miracle for her if she stared hard enough.

"Tch," Sasuke clicked his teeth rather hard. Feeling like talking to the girl would be like trying to converse with a brick wall, he walked away. "Do what you want."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I have important business to take care of."

"What about your best friend? Isn't he important too?" Sakura spoke louder than she anticipated. She couldn't control her anger. How could Sasuke turn a blind eye to his condition?

"You're here aren't you?"

_Oh, I see. _Sakura felt slightly embarrassed for her sudden outburst. With a loud sigh she relaxed into her chair.

"Woman." Sasuke's voice rang from the other side of the room. Sakura vaguely followed his voice to watch him walking out the front door "Tears should only be used for the dead."

With that he left.

Was he telling her that Naruto would be fine? How could he be so sure? He wasn't there. He didn't see what she did. He didn't experience what she did.

Much like her dream, Naruto did in fact save her life. He valiantly threw his body into the route of the bullets clearly aimed at her before he stopped the shooter, and collapsing shortly after. What differed from her dream was the fact that Naruto didn't die chivalrously in her arms but a woman that Sakura had seen on multiple occasions with Tsunade appeared within seconds after the shooting. The expression on her face was not much different from Sakura's at the moment.

_Shizune…san?_

Without any hesitation, she tore a piece of her blouse and tied it tightly around the wounded area. She repeated this until she finally got the bleeding to slow down. Within minutes, the ambulance had arrived and took Naruto and her with it.

It had been happening all so fast that Sakura could only remember the bare essentials. She vaguely remembered what they men in the ambulance asked, as well as what answers she gave. She faintly remembered white blurs that took her to the reception room where she called Sasuke and waited for updates on his condition for hours.

"Sakura-san?"

"Huh? Oh, Shizune-san." Speak of the devil.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine but how is he…?" Sakura tried to avoid his name as much as possible. Shizune's face fell as she took a seat next to Sakura.

"I'm not even sure about that anymore. The bullets did a lot of damage on his body. The team can't seem to stop the internal bleeding and his-" Shizune stopped halfway through her diagnostic realizing who she was speaking to "Uh, he's in surgery right now so I wouldn't know."

Sakura didn't respond.

"I won't ask about the details but this was a result of Naruto's" _cringe_ "constant brawls, correct?"

Silence.

"That's as good as any yes." She sighed "I believe that Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama should know about this."

"Jiraiya?" Sakura had heard Naruto mention him as nothing more than a 'perverted old geezer' but that was all he ever said. He always kept his conversations about him short.

"Naruto's guardian. I last heard that he was somewhere in the lightning country so contacting him will be tough." Shizune scratched her dome and sighed. She glanced sideways noticing that Sakura returned to her silent state.

"You must really love him."

"Huh?"

"The receptionist tells me you've already been here for 5 hours. No ordinary person would be here for that long unless they had a strong connection with him, right?"

_Do I love him…?_

"Oh my, you weren't aware of it? Oops. Er, um, maybe you should go home and get some sleep?"

Rather that answer her question Sakura had something else to say to her, "You were amazing Shizune-san. You didn't hesitate in any of your actions. You knew exactly what to do and when to do it. I...couldn't do anything for him. I felt so…powerless. I could only sit and watch when you took command."

"Shizune-san, thank you so much for being there. If it wasn't for you he would be…"

"I don't know if you should thank me just yet. I only got him here, everything else from here on out is beyond my control. I really don't like using this term but it's up to Naruto" _cringe_ "now."

"I see."

"Come on, I'll call your parents to come get you." She placed a smile on her face.

"But I can't leave until I know his condition…"

"Even if his surgery is done in the next few minutes the nurses can't give information about a patient unless you're related to the victim."

"Oh."

"You can check up on him tomorrow. Just tell the receptionist that Doctor Shizune called you."

Sakura vaguely replied with a nod.

* * *

><p>"What? Naruto's got shot?" Ino practically screamed during the middle of lunch.<p>

"God could you be any louder?" Sakura angerily replied.

"Sorry but I knew the guy was a street fighter but this is…"

"Is he ok?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"I don't know…"

"What happened?" Tenten jumped into the conversation.

"I don't want to talk about it…"

"Are you ok? You don't look too hot." Ino gently pressed her hand against Sakura's forehead. _At least she didn't have a fever._

"I don't know…"

All three girls sighed.

"Well what time after school are you heading over to the hospital? I want to come with you." Ino placed her hands on her hips.

"…I'm not too sure I want to go there anymore."

"What? Why?"

"…no reason. I just feel like if I see him I'll feel guilty."

Ino glared. "Bullshit."

"What?"

"What's your real reason for not going over there?"

"What do you think I'm lying to you?"

"No I think you're lying to yourself."

She wasn't wrong and Sakura wasn't lying. True she would feel guilty over putting him there in the first place. If she hadn't shown up in the alley Naruto would have been walking around with that goofy smile of his. Sakura simply wasn't being totally honest.

She was unsure. She didn't know his condition and that severely scared her. Taking a bullet in the wrong area on the body could kill a person let alone five of them. What if she went there only to find that she horribly crippled him? Or worse, what if she could never see his smiling face ever again?

That anxiety had been building the moment of the incident and had been rampaging through her emotions and her mind. She felt stuck.

The rest of the lunch period went without anyone saying a word. For now she would have to ignore her feelings because there was something else she needed to was about time his family knew the truth as well.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Sakura-chan. How can I help you?" Yui looked worried, noticing that someone was missing "If I may ask where Naruto is? I haven't seen him in a few days and frankly I'm worried."<p>

"Oh? Sakura-chan, hello." Ebisu walked down the steps to greet her.

"Ah, listen you two I don't know how to say this without causing some panic but," She paused biting her lip.

"What is it Sakura? You can tell us." Yui tried to keep up her smile, but Sakura could tell she was panicking on the inside.

"I took him out…and I had no idea that that would happen…if I did I wouldn't have let him…and he would be here…" Sakura began tearing up again.

"What are you talking about?" Ebisu interjected. She didn't reply.

"Where is Naruto?" Yui suddenly wailed. Sakura kept her head downcast refusing to look up.

"Enough, Yui. Sakura, please tell us what's going on."

And so she did. She explained everything from the shooting to the hospital scene.

"Oh…god…Naruto…" Ebisu could not contain his grief while Yui's face remained frozen.

"Is he ok?" Ebisu asked quickly.

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know."

"Thank you for telling us." Yui placed her hand on Sakura's shoulders "I'm sorry for shouting but he'll be fine Sakura-chan. I know he will."

_Then why does it sound like you're trying to reassure yourself and not me?_

"Yeah." She could only vaguely agree.

"Whatever you do. Don't tell the children. I don't think they could handle it."

"Right."

That very same afternoon, Sakura wandered upstairs heading for Naruto's room. She hadn't a clue of what possessed her to come here but her legs automatically took her there. Was it out of habit?

"Sakura-onee-chan, where is Onii-chan?" A girl with long hair as white as snow tugged on her shirt. Yume wasn't alone, all the kids had gathered up. All with worried and scared expressions on their faces.

"Oh," Sakura tried her hardest to put on a false persona "That idiot went off on a 'Self-study Vacation' for a few days at his friends place. I came here to get his stuff for him."

"He's never not come home before…" Even the ever enthusiastic Yuki was down.

"Don't worry. He'll be back soon." Sakura ruffled her hair like Naruto would.

"Ok." She managed a smile before she returned to the other kids. Sakura read once that children were more perceptive than adults at times. Maybe they read the situation from her previous grim expression. There was nothing else she could tell them so she pressed on for his room.

She knew it was stupid and irrational but she felt happier than she ever had been in days. Everything was a walking reminder of him, it brought both painful and happy memories but she was content.

Before she knew it she cleaned the rooms, emptied the trash and cleared Naruto's table of his various knick-knacks.

"Why…am I cleaning…?" She blinked realizing what she was doing and placed the broom and other cleaning tools back where she found them. She jumped onto the couch, closed her eyes and sank into it snuggling deeper into its comfortable fluffiness.

From the corner of her eye, she could see an unsent and unsealed letter from on top the counter. She knew it was wrong to read someone else's mail but the curiosity was killing her.

_Hey Old-pervert,_

_About what you asked before school has been…fun I guess. I'm learning stuff from the teachers but it's going in one ear and going out the next. If it wasn't for Sakura-chan pounding all that info back into my head with her constant nagging I'd have been thrown out by now. But she's still an amazing person though. When Yui-nee is busy she takes care and plays with the kids sometimes. _

_But I swear to kami-sama if you hit on her when you get here I'll punch you so hard in the face that even Baa-chan wouldn't be able to recognize you. And I know what you mean btw. Sakura is just like her sometimes. Especially in the monsterous strength department. Honestly I don't know where she gets it! And Sakura-chan is totally hotter. Gah, you made me write so much about her…_

_Anyway, everyone here is doing ok and you don't need to send me so much money. I'm fine ok? And hurry up get your ass over here so we can eat ramen you old pervert. I know you miss Yui and for some reason she misses you. Anyway, later. _

_P.S I burned your porn mags. _

"Did he always talk about me like this?" Sakura's face twitched for a moment before it smoothed out into a fond smile. Naruto did talk loads about her. Even though she wanted to hit him for half of the things he wrote, she knew that he cared about her deeply. Otherwise, why would he write so much about her? And she felt the same way about him.

When she occupied his room she felt like he was close that he was with her. Stupid…really stupid, she knew but she didn't care. She was content for the time being. She was well aware of the danger of thinking of him this way but how could she not? She missed him terribly.

_Maybe…maybe I really… _

* * *

><p>The next day went off without a hitch. It wasn't until the last period, a self study period since Hibiki-sensei left early that day, that Sakura began to dose off, slipping off into a deep sleep.<p>

The afternoon sunlight spread across the large body of water casting a dazzling orange hue. The multi-colored shades of orange and red blended into one creating a calm intensity that resembled a small burning fire in the sky. The sight was breath-taking…to say the least. Sakura shook his head to break away from the hypnotizing scene and found a younger version of herself sitting on a large boulder with a blonde boy near a riverbank.

His spikey hair could only resemble Naruto's with its spiky appearance. The two of them were playing and her younger self seemed to be enjoying his company.

_This isn't a dream is it?_ She asked as she wandering through the dream staring off into the lake. It all seemed so familiar to her.

"_Hey! It's the monster and his girlfriend!"_

"_Oh crap they found us!" The boy muttered as he grabbed her younger self and ran off "Come on, Sakura-chan!"_

_Wait, I wasn't the monster?_

With that the dream ended when eyes flew opened. She gently rubbed her eyes, and looked to the clock realized that the school bell had already rang. If that wasn't bad enough there was something sticky in her hair. It was a sticky note which read:

"_Gone to hospital. Come now or else! Luv Ino."_

_She can't be serious? Ugh! _Sakura screamed mentally as she grabbed her bag and made it for the school exit.

By now, all the anxiety that she managed to keep at bay was rushing back to her with full force. Her heart beat was skyrocketing and her mind was telling her to just walk away but she kept her legs moving. The receptionist only told her to go to room 142 and nothing else when she asked about Naruto.

Again, questions of doubt and guilt filled her head as she walked through the empty hall. _What if I disabled him? What if I did some permanent damage to his body? What if he can't walk anymore? But when she neared the room all her anxiety seemed to fade away._

"I told you that only _grazed_ my kidney!" A golden voice - one Sakura remembered fondly - shrieked inside of the room.

"I'll say it again. Five bullets were shot and only three of them hit me - one in my left thigh, my ribs and my abdomen. One grazed my kidney and one entered my pancreas but they fixed that right up. They did have to remove my appendix though. It was close to bursting."

He was lying down on the hospital bed wearing nothing but the standard issue patient wear. A wave of relief washed over Sakura. He was fine, more or less but the fact still remained that she had gotten him into this mess. What was she supposed to say to him?

"So…does it hurt when you pee?" Kiba asked with a child-like curiosity.

"Kiba! That was an inappropriate question." Neji vigorously rubbed his temples..

"What? I just want to know."

"Now that I think about it; it does." He answered frankly.

"We didn't need to know that!" Ino snapped and Naruto simply laughed.

Not only were her friends in the room, but all of the boys as well. They all came to see him? From Sakura's point of view they all seemed 'buddy-buddy' but weren't they at each other's necks? Sakura also found it strange that Naruto's so-called best friend was the only one missing from the scene.

"Ah."

"Ah."

His crystal blue eyes caught hold of her green orbs. The silent staring continued on until everyone followed Naruto's gaze to the door.

"Well then," Ino coughed "I think it's time for us to leave." She grabbed the boys by the shirt, then the girls and began pulling everyone out. "He's all yours."

"But I wanna see this! It's getting to the good part." Tenten struggled to get back in.

"Out." Ino managed to pull her and everyone else out and with a wink she closed the door leaving the two alone.

_Silence._

_Awkward silence._

_Painfully awkward silence._

"Hey Sakura-" Before he could finish his sentence, the pink haired girl wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

Rather than answer, he wrapped her arms around her back and whispered "It's ok, Sakura-chan."

She knelt on the floor, hugging Naruto tighter than necessary. She couldn't help herself. She had thought she lost him. The feelings she held up until now were let loose and without conscious thought the tears began to flood out.

"Hey come on, don't cry."

"But…but…" Naruto pulled away from her and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Naruto I really am sorry about this."

"Stop that." He furrowed his brow.

"But you only got hurt because of me."

"I only got hurt because I didn't finish off the guy with the gun. You can't keep blaming yourself for what happens to me, ok?"

"But-"

"Sakura," He held her shoulders down and stared directly into her eyes causing her to blush slightly, "I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt. If I get hurt as a result of it, I'll take full responsibility. It was my choice to protect you. So please, stop taking the blame."

"Ok." She vaguely nodded. She knew herself more than anyone else. She knew she'd feel guilty about this for the rest of her life. Maybe, someday she'd think differently. But that day seemed too far away.

"You scared me you know," She spoke softly burying her face on his chest – she didn't want him to see her face - "I saw the look on your face when he fired the gun. There was no hesitation. You took it with the full intention of protecting me."

Sakura didn't know why she was talking about this.

"Well, of course. I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"It's not that. You weren't only trying to protect me; you were willing to die for me." Naruto didn't respond. She could have taken that as a confirmation.

"…I don't want you to do that. Why do you keep trying so hard to protect me?"

Sakura's mind blanked out. She already knew the answer to her own question, rather the excuse that Naruto would give her.

"…like I said I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? It's because we're friends!"

"Friends don't hand over their lives so easily, Naruto! I don't want you to give up your life for mine!" Sakura finally raised her head and glared at the angry blonde.

"What? Who said anything about dying?"

"Isn't that what almost happened to you?"

"I'm fine aren't I?"

"What if something like this happened again? Would you protect me then even though you may get hurt?"

"Of course!"

"Then that's the same as saying 'I'll die for you!'"

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't want you to throw your life away. I want you to treasure yours above anyone else's!"

"I do! It's not like I'll throw my body in front of a bullet for just anyone!"

"Then think of me as one of those other people!"

"I love you!"

The air solidified. For a moment, Sakura didn't realize what she had just been told. Just now, what did he say? Love? Like as in, _Love_?

"... Eh?" was all she could reply.

"I said I love you! Whenever I look at you my heart starts beating so fast that I can't even think straight! You're always on my mind, even in my dreams!"

"Wha? Wha?"

"You aren't being fair at all! What do you mean you don't want me to protect you? Why do you think I'm risking my life for you? It's because I love you!"

Everything became quiet. By the expression on Naruto's face, Sakura could tell that he regretted what he just said.

After some time passed... Sakura returned to herself. Anger and delight, two opposite feelings, gushed forth. Not completely understanding the situation, Sakura's face started reddening and she lifted Naruto's face up.

"If it's a lie, I'll kill you." She said only that with a shaky voice. Just how red was her face right now?

"It's not a lie!"

Sakura eyes became downcast as she blushed even harder.

Naruto thought that Sakura was awfully cute. Naruto thoughts went so far, that he ended up wanting to hug her and snuggle against her cheeks. But he wasn't sure if he'd get hurt or not if he were to do it. Sakura was incredibly violent after all.

But there was something he wanted to try. It was gamble with a low chance of working but now was the time for it.

"Hey Sakura-chan."

"Hm?"

Naruto's eyes met with hers and she froze. A soft expression grew on his face as he combed his hand through her hair. She didn't respond or react; she only looked at him with dewy eyes.

Naruto slowly closed the distance between the two with a small peck on Sakura's lips. Pulling away from her ever so gently, he bent down placing his hand on her face softly as though she would shatter if he wasn't careful and gazed deeply into to her weary eyes.

Sakura was taken aback, but strangely she didn't hate it. A part of her mind wanted to push him away and pretend that this never happened and the other wanted to enjoy this as much as she could.

Giving into her temptations, she calmly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his head. Naruto took this as a sign to advance as he closed his eyes and with that their lips met again.

Afterwards Sakura caught Naruto's shoulders and lifted her hip. And then she peered into his face with serious eyes her cheeks still flushed.

"You had better take responsibility for kissing me." Naruto smiled and replied with another kiss.

The world disappeared around them; nothingness consumed everything except for Naruto and her. Nothing else mattered, with the exception of the boy in front of her that held her so tightly. As their lips parted, Sakura looked deeply into the eyes of the boy in front of him and he returned her loving gaze.

A smirked climbed his cheek as he moved in to kiss her once more. Their lips met again and again each kiss more passionate than the last but Sakura felt Naruto biting down hard on her lower lip. It was only then did she realize that Naruto was still in pain.

"I'm sorry." Sakura shot away from him, getting out of the bed (that she unconciously crawled onto as she made out with him) as to not agitate his wounds any further.

"It's fine." He chuckled for a moment before he began to stare into her eyes once more. It wasn't long until Naruto slipped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her down for another kiss. They embraced each other once more but soon after Naruto pulled away again.

"_Gah!" _

"Sorry! I, um, I'll go call everyone else." She smiled weakly before she scampered out of the room her cheeks a raging shade of red.

"…she's just too cute." Naruto smiled before he looked down at his wounds _"Damn you!"_

With her cheeks about to explode from embarrassment, Sakura opened the door and peered out of it with a blank expression on her face. Naruto noticed that Sakura stood at the door without moving an inch.

"What's wrong?"

Just then, everyone who had previously left the room came tumbling down at Sakura's feet. It came to Sakura as no surprise that Ino had been peeking in on her, but why had everyone else joined her? Even the cool and ever calm Neji was present in the pile.

"Don't...tell me that all of you were watching that…?" Naruto's imagination was set on fire as the group of teenagers' faces grew pale - What kind of face did Sakura have to make them all that way?

"Every man and women for themselves!" Ino screamed before she got up and scrambled away from the door with the other's close behind.

Sakura cracked her knuckles roughly and spoke grimly, "_I'll beat them until they forget everything_."

Naruto on the other hand was laughing as hard as he could. At least he was having fun; no one else was going to if Sakura found them.

* * *

><p>Edit Extra: I feel like this was much better than the way I originally posted it. I apologize for any inconviences.<p> 


	12. Long Road To Recovery

_A/N: For the reader's who don't know yet, I've rewritten the previous chapter on a count of I think that it didn't flow well with the dialogue. I believe that this a better way to get their relationship started._

* * *

><p><em>o~o~o<br>_

_Long Road To Recovery_

_o~o~o_

During Saturday morning things were unusually quiet, that was, until a bunch of very familiar teens came walking into Naruto's hospital room. Naruto drowned himself in whatever the T.V showed him at the moment while Sakura was quietly seated next to Naruto's bed reading up on another one of her medical books before she turned her head to the door. She was impressed that the teens had the nerve to return to the room after she drove them off the day before.

"Are you here to make fun of my trouncing or are you here to see how I was actually doing?" Naruto glared at the boy's appearance.

Naruto was half naked, his torso wrapped up in bandages with a small Ice bag on his ribs. He'd love to explain why the ice bag was there but Sakura would be forced to beat his face in out of pure embarrassment.

"A bit of both." Kiba grinned.

"How are you holding up?" Tenten asked noticing the ice bag.

"Could be better, could be worse."

"That's pretty vague."

"I'm covered up to my armpits in bandages, my entire body hurts, I feel sore in places I didn't know I had and to top it all off I have two homicidal nurses 'taking care of me'."

"You don't say?" Tenten laughed nervously "But what do you mean two 'homicidal' nurses?"

"It's time to take your medicine, Naruto." A woman dress in black with a white overcoat sang as she suddenly opened the door.

"Shizu-nee? Oh god, not that again!" Naruto began to look tense.

"Yes _that_!" Ino began laughing maniacally "Um, what's _that_?"

"A secret family tonic that is said to cure any aliments!" Shizune said proudly, holding a bottle filled with a purplish-blue liquid. It was a very toxic-looking color.

"According to her, it's guaranteed to knock out any hint of pain and cut his recovery time in half." Sakura added as she closed her book.

"Shizu-nee please no! Last time you gave me that I was out for 12 hours!" Naruto began to crawl backwards.

"Oh come on Naruto. It's not that bad." Sakura added.

"You have no idea what you're saying…" It looked like it could kill him instantly if he drank it all.

Just then an idea formulated in his head.

"Hey let's be rational about this, if you don't pour that evil thing down my throat how about I buy something nice for the both of you? How's that sound?"

"Oh! There was this cute shop that sold a necklace I always wanted." Shizune stopped to consider.

"I did want a few things I saw on the way over here." Sakura followed.

Naruto relaxed.

"After you take your medicine of course!" Both smiled.

"_Dammit!"_

"Assume the position!" Shizune ordered, summoning another blonde nurse out of nowhere. Sakura and the nurse made their way to the bed firmly holding Naruto down. While he struggled to break free, Shizune came ever so close with a bottle in her hand. In one swift movement she forced his mouth open and poured the horrid liquid down his throat.

_#^%^*!$1! _

When the cold liquid touched his tongue he felt like someone smashed a steel bat into his mouth. His throat felt like it was set ablaze and his eyes flashed multiple shades of colors before everything went black. And with that he was out.

"I think he's dead…" Ino remarked noticing that Naruto wasn't moving. Or breathing for that fact.

"Nah, this thing is only slightly dangerous." Shizune gave a cat-like smile.

"What do you mean _slightly_!"

"Now you know what he meant by 'homicidal'….'" Hinata poked him for any signs of life.

"Out like a light. So…what now?" The young brown hair Inuzuka asked.

"You and your friends are going to answer a few of my questions." Ino sat on the nearest chair crossing her legs and eyeing the boys suspicious. "One day you pick a fight with him and the next you're buddy-buddy enough to visit him at the hospital? What's up with that?"

"I could do without the hostility. I just came to check up on the guy, sheesh."

"Why do you even care about him? Didn't you try to beat him up with your goons?" Tenten joined in, glaring at the young dog lover.

"Hey hey, things got a bit out of control last time. One thing lead to another and I'm here. The dude isn't all that bad. I know and I'm sorry about before ok?" He apologized raising his hands defensively.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…"

* * *

><p>"<em>You're…good." The downed Kiba spoke softly "Really good."<em>

"_Are you satisfied?" Naruto wiped the loose trial of blood down his mouth._

"_Yep," he managed a small smile "I just wanted to see how strong you were man, nothing more, nothing less."_

"_Is that it?" Naruto asked suspiciously "No cryptic message? No 'I'll kill you for this'? No more threats about ending my life?" _

"_What the hell kind of life do you have man?" Kiba could feel a cold sweat run down his brow. "Dude, I'm in the disciplinary committee. I'm only in it for the fighting but with people like Neji around I barely get to do that anymore."_

"…_you were just bored?" Naruto's expression softened._

"_Pretty much."_

_Naruto felt his legs weaken. "What the hell?" Naruto chuckled resting his body against the school wall. "What the hell was this? Comedy hour?" Naruto honestly couldn't believe his ears. This was a first in his book. _

"_What are you guys doing here?" Kiba asked and Naruto turned to find himself surrounded by six burly teenagers, each with their own weapon of choice. _

"_We were sent by Neji to help you out with this punk." One of the larger ones spoke._

"_Yeah, he said he knew you would do something like this." Another answered._

"_Get back to the meeting room, we're already done here." Kiba groggily got up "I got what I wanted now let's leave." _

"_Sorry but we don't take our orders from two-bit losers like you." _

"_What was that?" Kiba's head whipped back._

"_I can't believe you got beat down by this punk." The larger one chuckled smashing the metal pipe against the wall "You know what? I say we need to teach this guy a lesson." _

"_No one messes with the Disciplinary committee." The boy grinned._

"_I already told you that we were done here!" Kiba growled "Back off!"_

"_No can do!" The larger one smashed the metallic pipe against Kiba's stomach. Without so much as a sound he went down. "Get him."_

"_Bastards…" Naruto muttered before he began to fight them off._

* * *

><p>"And that's when you came all worried about him." Kiba finished his story, crossing his arms in wait for the girl's reactions.<p>

"Is that so?" Ino still didn't like him. "Even if you were messing around just to get a fight out of Naruto, you still got Naruto in trouble with the teachers."

Kiba shrank.

"And you're the reason people started avoiding him in the first place!"

"I get it! That's why I wanted to make it up to him! But I don't exactly know how to approach him after all that." He looked away, his face full of remorse.

"Well you can go apologize to him when he wakes up for starters." Tenten suggested.

"Fine."

"So wait, why are the rest of you here?" Sakura asked. "are you guys the same as Kiba?"

"More or less." They all nodded. _Whoa._

"Lee?" She turned to the soccer player.

"Oh, yes!" Rock Lee walked forward with a whimsical look on his face.

* * *

><p><em>The morning began like any other. The youthful sun burned in the vast skies igniting my youthful morning wake up regime. 200 push ups, 100 sit ups followed by a grueling- <em>

"Get to the point." Neji retorted.

_It all began at soccer practice. They boys on the team were very agitated that day. I did not know why. Maybe their youth didn't burning that morning which may have left them cranky? Anyway, during one match out of the blue, one boy knocked me down after I had made a winning goal._

"_You stole that goal from me!" _

"_What? The ball was clearly passed to me." I responded as politely as I could._

"_You think you're better than everyone here? Don't you!" _

"_What? I never-_

"_Yeah! You're always prancing around screaming about that 'youth' of yours!" Another joined in._

"_Yeah, Gai-sensei talks about the same thing. I bet that he gives you special training when we aren't around."_

"_He does but if you ask of him, surely he would-"_

"_So he does?" The first one kicked some dirt into my face "What makes you so special?_

"_HEY! Leave him alone!" And there he appeared, with a scowl and a glare on his face._

"_Stay out of this! It isn't your business!" _

"_The hell it isn't! You're picking on the guy just because he is better than you? How low can you go?" He was practically screaming his head off._

"_This punk isn't better than me! I'm the team captain! I'm the best!"_

"_You're the worst! Do you even know what that kid does every day? Did you bother asking him? No!" Naruto walked up to the captain gritting his teeth. "The guy runs to school and makes laps about 10 laps around the soccer field every morning!" The captain shrank back._

"_Are you satisfied by being picked on by these bunch of losers?" He asked me directly and I couldn't say anything._

"_Shut your damn moth! This isn't your problem!" The captain made his first mistake by shoving Naruto._

"_He only got here through hard work and now you want to beat him up for it? You're the worst kind of person." _

* * *

><p>"He made the second mistake by punching Naruto in the face which then escalated into the fight." Lee rubbed the back of his neck, like he was ashamed of himself. He probably blamed himself for getting Naruto in trouble when he only tried to help him.<p>

It took everybody a minute to digest the new information.

"Cousin Neji?" Hinata turned to her older cousin to explain his situation.

"I've already paid him back my dues with the restaurant incident." Neji answered flatly "I can still hear your old man's screaming in my ear."

"What the heck happened?" Ino asked curiously.

"I'll explain later but cousin what happened in the school?"

He didn't look like he wanted to talk about it.

"Come on Neji, unless you want me to tell them about first year?" Tenten gave Neji a suggestive look that turned him pale.

"You wouldn't dare." He glared.

"Oh, I dare Neji. I dare." She smirked. She returned his glare, leaving the two to stare at each other for what felt like hours.

"Fine!" But unfortunately Neji was the first to give up.

* * *

><p>"<em>Naruto what are you doing to this school?" I called him into the office to discuss his recent behavior. At the time I didn't know the full details of the fight so please excuse my harshness.<em>

"_I'm not doing anything! This school is out to get me!" _

"_Don't toy with me Uzumaki! You sent half of my committee, the entire soccer team and various other students to the infirmary and you expect me to believe that they started it of their own accord?" _

"_I'm telling you I just find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time!" _

"_I'll have you know I won't stand for this kind of behavior." _

"_Well it's not like you can do much to him you know." Shikamaru, the Student Council President, rubbed the back of his shoulder._

"_I'll take whatever means of silencing this delinquent I can get."_

"_Why won't you people listen to me?" Naruto sighed._

"_You're Uzumaki right?" A group of boys entered the room without even asking for permission. How rude of them._

"_You beat all my friends man. Guys like us don't appreciate that kind of thing."_

"_I am not gonna fight any of you." Naruto replied without turning to face them._

"_You ain't got a choice in the matter." The boy's face faltered as he proceeded onto Naruto._

"_Stand down!" I commanded but they would not yield._

"_You ain't the boss of us!"_

"_No but I am!" Shikamaru raised his voice. I was surprised to say the least. I didn't know he could shout. "I'm the student council president and I demand that you control yourselves."_

"_Oh you want a piece of us too, Pres? Bring it!" They charged for us without regards for the rules._

* * *

><p>"I won't bore you all with the fight's details but Naruto saved my life once we were in that mess."<p>

"Mine as well." Shikamaru added "I'm not one for anything physical so his help was greatly appreciated."

"But what about the mess with Choji and Shino?" Hinata turned to the two in question.

"I can answer that." Shino pulled in front of the other boys "He entered the lunchroom, had one glance at Choji and in a very friendly nature asked him if he could share one of his three bowls of Ramen. Choji politely said no, multiple times, but Naruto eventually became frustrated and called him _you-know-what_."

"What?" Choji asked, still munching on his chips.

"I don't want to get hurt so I won't bother saying it."

"I don't know about the rest of you but maybe the boy isn't a delinquent as much as he is a loud mouthed idiot who sticks his nose into other people's problems without regards for the consequences." Everyone nodded in unison. _Wait…_

"Kakashi-sensei? When did you get here?" Ino blurted. Their homeroom teacher literally appeared out of nowhere.

"Since the very beginning." He smiled, or what seemed like a smile.

"So he isn't a delinquent after all." Tenten said brightly "Isn't that great Sakura?"

They were only telling her things she knew without the boys telling her what really happened. She knew that he wasn't a delinquent ever since that night explained everything.

A small smile tugged up her face when she watched her friends and the boys' debate about what they should say when he woke up. Naruto was better at making friends that he thought. Maybe she would cross it by him when he woke up.

* * *

><p><em>Pain<em>! _Throbbing pain!_

Pain encircled Naruto's body. It wrapped him tightly in its embrace. He could feel body twist and writhe. He was drowning in an ocean of pain.

At that moment, he felt like had been awakened from a deep slumber. The numbness was gone and he felt warmth. His eyes flashed open but he did not recognize the ceiling or the room. For a moment he thought he was still dreaming until he looked to the side where a pink figure entered his vision. _Sakura?_

"I summon Ancient Gear Golem in Attack Mode!" Naruto heard a very familiar boisterous voice call from the corner of the room.

"Wah! That monster will destroy me…" A meek voice, Naruto could recognize as Hinata's, whined.

"It's not a problem, Hinata. Activate your trap." _Neji? Oh yeah, everyone came to see me._

"Oh yeah. Thanks, Cousin. I activate my trap card which destroys a monster you just summoned!"

"Oh crap! Wait, Hinata-sama, could you please not activate it?" Kiba smiled nervously "I mean it took me nearly the whole game to get this card."

Hinata considered not destroying it, that was, until Neji said "In war there is no need for compassion."

"Sorry, Kiba-san. I destroy your monster!"

"Nooooo!"

"What are you guys doing…?" Naruto asked in his deep lazy voice.

"Oh, you're awake." Shikamaru pointed out, moving from the game to his bed. "I didn't think you'd be up at all."

"You guys have some nerve playing card games near a man's death bed."

"Don't be a baby, the medicine wasn't that bad." Sakura huffed.

"Oh come now Sakura, you could stand to be nicer to your boy toy." Ino grinned sarcastically.

"Shut it Ino." Sakura quickly replied.

"What are you guys playing, anyway?"

"Yugioh." Kiba showed his hand of cards. "It's an awesome game."

"Why you're playing that game at this age I'll never know." Ino sighed.

"Guys my age are the only ones who can appreciate the game!"

"Well that's all fine and dandy but could you guys keep…it…down…" _Oh boy._ Naruto could feel that steel bat again. His thoughts were clouded and his vision was fading fast.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata worriedly called his name but he was too out of out to reply.

"The medicine is still in his body. Just let him sleep."

_Falling…unconscious…again…_

* * *

><p>When he finally woke up, his head felt clear and refreshed. There was nobody in the room. Everyone must have gone home. He figured that must have been the case since it was dark out. Naruto sighed slightly noticing the room was in a bit of a mess. They could have at least cleaned up after themselves.<p>

_Hm?_ _What's this?_ Naruto turned to a sliced apple and a letter on a plate on his desk. He smiled tenderly knowing who had left in the apple. He slipped a piece into his mouth before he began to read the letter.

'_Sorry for all the trouble we caused over the past few months. We hope to make it up to you however we can. Just come to us if you need help with anything.' _

It was signed by all the boys.

"They aren't bad guys after all."

Just then, his cell phone vibrated on the very same desk. When he saw the caller his eyes darkened.

"Troublesome people."

"Ok Naruto, it's time for-" Shizune's eyes widened as the plate of medication and food fell to the floor "Naruto…?"

His bed was empty and his window was opened. He couldn't have gotten out of the window like that. They were on the third floor! Whatever the case, she had lost her patient. What was she supposed to do? She did the first thing that came to her mind.

...

Sakura barreled out of her house despite her mother's calls for her to come back. How could he have been so stupid? He was going to get himself killed. After the short call she got from Shizune, Sakura knew exactly where Naruto disappeared to. He took his phone with him which could have meant only one thing.

"Oh, it looks like our champion isn't feeling so hot folks. His bleeding madly and it's only been one minute into the fight! How's he going to fare against this battling genius, Yamamoto?" Sakura could hear the announcer's cruel voice from outside the stadium.

"Whoopsie, Kamikaze is missing all of his blows. Come on Kaze! Where's all that strength you had before? Don't tell me a small wound like that is going to slow you down?"

That bastard was making fun of him despite knowing his injuries.

The boy charged for Naruto, swinging his right foot at Naruto's head. Naruto quickly retaliated by blocking with his left arm, he then ducked down to sweep at the boy's legs. Sakura could have seen from the corner of her eye that Naruto's wounds were reopening. He was pushing himself.

Unfortunately for Naruto, his legs were rooted to the ground and wouldn't budge. The boy maneuvered his leg over Naruto's arm and smashed it into his face causing Naruto to grind against the dirt until he could get up. The boy didn't stop his advance there, he rushed on Naruto (who was still recovering from the kick) whipping his right leg aimed at Naruto's face again.

Naruto who was still crouched on the ground, gritted his teeth as he quickly bent backwards, allowing the kick to fly directly over his face. While the boy quickly spun to face Naruto once more, Naruto knew this was his chance.

Naruto flew into action; before the boy could respond. He lodged his foot deep into the boy's stomach followed up by a quick roundhouse kick to his face. The boy grinned. He raised his leg and easily parried Naruto's second kick. He immediately retracted his leg afterwards. Much to Naruto's astonishment the boy grabbed his foot and returned the favor by kneeing his in the stomach. The boy followed up by ramming his elbow into Naruto's chin then backhanding him. Naruto hit the ground, rather hard.

The crowd became silent. Was their beloved champion going to lose tonight?

"_NARUTO!_" Naruto's head whipped to the stands where a girl was practically crying her eyes out.

"I don't care if you win. I don't care if you don't give up but please don't get hurt anymore! It's not easy to watch this!"

"What's this?" The announcer turned his attention to Sakura "My, my isn't it well past your bed time little miss?"

Naruto shakily got up to his feet, and wiped the dirt from his face. Naruto gave a slight smirk, "Sorry guy, you heard the lady."

His opponent weary of Naruto's new attitude charged straight for him ramming his fist into Naruto's chest, at least, that's what he wanted to do. Rather, Naruto caught the boy's fist with his own and buried his other fist deep into the boy's face. While the boy groaned in pain, he flailed his arms in an attempt to hit Naruto.

Naruto clapped his hands around the boy's head, disorienting him further before he laid down a brutal barrage of fists to the boy's head, neck and chest. When Naruto was finished, he took a step back and allowed the boy to fall face forward.

"Oh! Kamikaze pulls out one of his famous techniques to win the match! Dirty techniques mind you!" The announcer seemed happy.

With an exasperated sigh, he let go of his body and fell backwards. Pulling out those last stops had drained him of everything he had. He had no more energy left. He felt anemic. He should have, counting the amount of blood he was losing. So it was natural that he'd blacked out.

Sakura held Naruto for what felt like hours. His body was hurt and bruised and he had long since passed out. She managed to stop the bleeding but that was the limit of her ability. She gently combed through his spiky hair. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Her tears had long since dried up. Her feelings had long since dulled, more or less. How long had he been doing this? Doesn't his body deserve rest?

While she was lost in her own mind, she felt rough hands on her cheeks. She smiled faintly as she looked down into his eyes. He returned her gentle gaze as he held her hand and rubbed it against his face. The pained expressions on her face was like an open book to Naruto.

_'You dumbass! Look at yourself! Stop this madness before you get yourself killed!'_

Maybe...maybe he could have done something to make her feel more at ease but what? Naruto's eyes darted to the corner of the stadium. That's when the idea dawned on him.

"I know you're hiding over there Tobi."

"Oh my, was I that noticeable?" The announcer chuckled behind his swirled mask.

"I can see your freaky-ass mask a mile away."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Whatever. I want a break."

"Come again?"

"_I. Want. A. Break." _Naruto practically yelled "I've been fighting for you for years without one. I'm tired, I'm hurt and I need to relax."

"No one's ever taken a break Naruto-kun." He said no as politely as he could but Naruto wasn't planning on giving up the idea any time soon.

"Yeah well I'll be the first," Naruto groggily got up and Sakura quickly supported him "When I come back I'll fight as many matches as you want."

"Hmmm." He placed his hand on his chin.

"As you can see I'm in no condition to fight and a break would give me some time to properly heal."

"Hmmmmmmmm."

"Ugh, fine I'll develop some new techniques in that time, happy?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

"Would you quit that?"

"Fine Naruto-kun, but on one condition."

"…what?"

He pointed at Sakura. "Can I have the name of the girl who so valiantly entered the ring with that lovey-dovey pep talk of hers?"

"…Sakura Haruno." She answered, glaring daggers at Tobi who seemed none too threatened.

"Sakura-chan. I like the ring to it."

"…don't call her that. It sounds disgusting coming from you." Naruto grunted "Let's go."

After the two were long gone, Tobi chuckled softly as a man practically materialized from the darkness. He had dark grey eyes, black hair that hung near his to frame his face and kept the rest of it in a ponytail. His most distinguishing characteristics were the long pronounced tear troughs under his eyes and the large Uchiha clan symbol on the back of his shirt.

"I want you to find everything you can on Sakura Haruno. She'll become quite the asset in the future."

* * *

><p><em>Dark forces are looming. Will Naruto be ready?<em>


	13. Love

_0-0-0_

_Love_

_The Flower's Blossoming  
><em>

_0-0-0_

* * *

><p>"Morning," the blonde said, not taking his eyes off whatever caught his attention at the window.<p>

"Morning," She replied suspiciously scanning around the room. Naruto may have known how to keep quiet about his personal life but he was no expert at keeping a secret that he knew would get him into trouble. His guilty conscious was an ever present expression on his face.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sakura paused eying the apartment once more "Why are you topless?"

The boy turned his attention to her, his eyes definitely tried to hide something from her. But nonetheless, he replied with a smile "It was hot last night. I needed some air."

She stared at him with an unconvinced expression. She knew for a fact that they were nearing winter and that the night was rather the coldest it had been in a while. She walked up to him, lightly tapping him on the shoulders with a carefree smile before she unleashed a viscous vice-grip.

"Naruto Uzumaki you know better than to lie to me." He gritted his teeth but didn't say anything, "Let me see your shirt."

Naruto sighed as he bent over and plucked his torn and tattered shirt from between the sofa cushions, "Here."

"What the hell happened to your shirt?" She was flabbergasted to say the least. "Don't you dare lie this time."

"Well, I ran out of milk last night so I ran out for a bit and some stuff happened."

"What happened exactly?"

"Look the guy was getting mugged, it's not like I could have just walked away and pretended that I didn't see anything!" Naruto knew it was coming but it still wouldn't have prepared him for the short headache he got when Sakura bonked on top of his head.

"That's what you get for breaking your promise!" Naruto groaned, rubbing the crown of his head remembering that he promised not to raise his fist against anyone until his break was over. He still hadn't properly healed yet, which may have been the reason she knocked his head and not his stomach.

"And this-" _Oh no._ Naruto braced himself again, but rather than pain he felt a sweet sensation on his head. Sakura pulled his head down and lightly pressed her lips against his forehead. "-is for breaking your promise."

"Oye, make up your mind if you're going to hit me or praise me." Naruto remarked with an exhausted sigh.

"I'm a very chaste girl."

"What does that have to do with you hitting me…?"

"Anyway, since it's a holiday and all. I was wondering what your plans were for the day?"

"Well I'm going to get a package- Oh hey! Why don't we go see a movie?" Naruto replied abruptly changing the subject.

"You mean like a date?" Sakura tinged red.

"Yeah! We haven't been on one of those in a while, right?"

"We've never been on a date before Naruto."

"No way. What about all the times we went to the arcade, the flower shop, Hinata's restaurant, and all the other places that I can't remember right now."

"Those were just…um…friendly activities."

"You can call them whatever you want. Any time spent with the cute Sakura-chan is a date to me." He grinned goofily.

"Aren't you embarrassed when you say things like that?" Sakura's face flushed "Don't you have any shame?"

"Not at all." He gave her a thumbs up.

"Baka…"

* * *

><p>Along the way, Sakura closed the distance between her and Naruto as if she was trying to get his attention but he always pulled away from her by reflex. It took her a few days but she finally coerced Naruto to walking along side her and not 10 feet behind her. The stares of the crowds never stopped but she couldn't care less. Her main concern was getting closer to Naruto. Both physically and emotionally.<p>

She had been thinking about it a lot more as of late, but now that her desires were beginning to surface more often. She thought she could take some time to revise her approach to the situation.

_Naruto and I are a couple, right?_

Sakura knew that the average couple acted like their partner was the world to them; that they couldn't think about anyone or anything else. It explained why they were always stuck to each other like glue. Sakura had always thought that when she had a boyfriend she would love nothing more than to act all lovey-dovey with him.

True, she enjoyed being with Naruto, but other than the act of kissing nothing seemed exciting or lovey-dovey. Naruto was her friend before she began to grow affection for him. Events such as dates felt normal to her since she always spent so much time with him.

_I wonder if that's weird? _ _Maybe I should check if there was any spark between us. _She looked down for a moment, his large hands coming into her sight. Just then an idea came to mind.

_Naruto shouldn't have a problem with holding hands right? But how do I tell him without embarrassing myself?_ 'Hey Naruto. Your hands look cold and mine are too. What do you say we warm them up together?'

_Yeah right, like I can say that!_

"Sakura-chan?"

"Hai!" That respose came out louder than she expected. Naruto caught her off guard.

"Something wrong? You're mumbling to yourself and your face is all red."

"Oh it's nothing! Hahaha." She tried to laugh it off.

"Really?" He pressed his hand on her forehead which caused her raised temperature to go higher. "Wait no, this isn't good enough. Excuse me."

He parted her hair and pressed his forehead against hers. Their faces (including their lips) were mere inches from each other.

"Ah." She whispered as a sudden memory of their first kiss came into mind. That made her entire face crimson red. Now that she thought about it - she really went at him with the kissing. The sweet sensations from their embrace left Sakura wanting more and they ended up doing it again and again.

And if that wasn't bad enough - that very morning she saw Naruto topless. At the time her head was filled with exposing his lies but now that she wrapped her head around it Naruto was exceptionally muscular. To say the least.

It only occurred to her now that she may have fallen in love with Naruto, not for his appearance but mainly his personality and charm. _Well his face and body did have something to do with it._

"Wow, you're burning up. Maybe we should cancel the date and get you home."

"No I'm fine." Sakura brushed aside Naruto's hand and made her way passed him. Anymore of that and she would have exploded.

But because of her rash behavior, Sakura failed to notice that she was at a crossroad with the traffic light signaling green. When she heard the roar of a vehicle's engine, she found herself being grabbed by two rough arms that wrapped themselves around her and pulled her back.

"And you call me the knucklehead! I know you're feeling under the weather but pay more attention to your surrounds!" Naruto scolded.

"Oh, sorry." Was all she could have said.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight for the rest of the day."

Sakura didn't have time to respond before Naruto clasped his hands around hers, pulling her along the sidewalk. Sakura indirectly accomplished her goal, learning something new in the process.

_Who knew his denseness could have been a useful weapon…_

She hung her head low, a bright tinge of red coloring her face as she lost herself in thought. _There was definitely a spark alright._

* * *

><p>After the movie was done, the couple exited the cinema with one infinitely more cheery than the other.<p>

"Wow, Hiro-kun was amazing!" Naruto's eyes sparkled as he talked. "The way he took on his high school teacher for making fun of him before was awesome. Don't you agree Sakura-chan?"

"Mmm? Yeah, he was." Sakura could only half heartily reply to all of his questions. To be honest, she hadn't paid attention to the movie at all. She had her eyes set on the knuckle head next to her the entire movie.

She noticed all the faces that he made and that reminded her of all the expressions Naruto could make. Happy, sad, excited, depressed, and lonely - even the soft indescribable looks he got when he talked about her and his family.

Naruto was handsome, she had to admit. He was always nice to her and tough on her when he needed to be. Naruto was one of those guys that meant what he said and if he ever lied, he would try as hard as he could to make them true. Naruto was a huge idiot at times but she could have depended on him whenever it counted. He was always there for her when she needed him; he was also there when she didn't. He always went the extra mile for her, always doing things no one would expect of him.

"Hey Sakura, am I doing something wrong?" Naruto suddenly asked as they sat down on a park bench.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You look kind of spaced out. You've been like that all morning." Naruto sighed scratching his head "I don't know if I did something to lose your interest or not."

"Wait Naruto it isn't anything like that…!"

"I'm new to this whole boyfriend thing, you know? So I don't know if I'm doing anything right or wrong."

"Naruto, there is no right or wrong when it comes to something like this." Sakura's expression softened. He cared for her deeply, that much was obvious. "Not all girls are scary monsters who want you to be with the perfect guy 24/7. We just want you to be yourself."

"But…I'm an idiot."

"That you are."

"Hey!"

"But this girl here fell in love with an idiot like you, didn't she?" Sakura cheeks flushed as she gently brought her hands to hold his chin in place as she kissed him lightly on the cheeks "So don't worry so much ok? I just have a lot on my mind."

"…that's the first time you said that you loved me…" Naruto seemed equally embarrassed.

"…eh?" She hiccupped. Feeling the heat, she turned her head away from him and tried to focus on something else. "Baka…"

"Yeah, I'm an idiot alright." Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a firm hug. "There's no way a normal person could love someone this much."

"Wah! Naruto not here! People can see us!"

"Let them see. I want to show the world what we have." Naruto grinned as he buried his face into the nape of her neck.

"Mmm!" She jumped. Naruto's cool breath against the nape of her neck brought up some feelings that were quite new but not too foreign to her. "Naruto, stop it."

"I can't. You're being too cute."

"I said stop it." She punched him roughly in the stomach and he let go. Sakura stood up, fixed her hair and tried to regain her usual composure "There is a time and place for these things Naruto."

"I was just hugging you…" Naruto replied weakly.

"You were doing more a lot more than that actually."

"Really? What else was I doing?" Naruto remarked.

_He…honestly had no idea, did he? _She mentally groaned.

"So wait. If we were alone, you wouldn't mind it?" He asked sheepishly and Sakura found herself unable to answer. "Awesome! Let's go home now!"

"Wait Naruto!" He grabbed her hand and began pulling her along.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything…much."

* * *

><p>The way up to Naruto's apartment was horrifyingly quiet. Sakura's imagination ran rampant trying to figure out what Naruto would try to do to her. She tried dismissing the ideas as it just being Naruto since he seemed too pure for anything…exciting…but he was a boy after all. She had half the mind to run back down the stairs but her feet kept moving forward.<p>

"Oh Sai, did you get the goods?" Naruto broke the silence when Sai came out of his room.

"Oh yes. It's in your room right now."

"Oh sweet! Thanks again man."

"No problem." Sai put on one of his famous smiles "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an art gallery to visit."

With those as his parting words, he left.

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked.

"You'll see." He grinned as he practically ran to his room.

_Oh right, Naruto mentioned or should I say try to hide that he was supposed to receive a package today. _

"Tada!" When they returned, Naruto pointed towards the object in his living room with an excited grin on his face. Sakura simply stood there with a blank expression on her face. Naruto clearly lost as to what to do just repeated his phrase, "Tada!"

"…what is that?"

"A piano."

"…why is it here?"

"Well I couldn't just go to your house and drop it off there. Your mom would have grilled the hell out of me."

"Wait, it's mine…?"

"You did say you wanted it right?"

How was she supposed to react to this? The rose pink Yamaha piano, with a 5,000,000 yen price tag, was sitting in Naruto's living room. She hoped to buy that piano in the far future, but here it was with her as the owner.

Naruto figured that she was too shocked for words and decided to just go on with his explanation. "I ordered it about a week ago while I was in the hospital. Well more like I made Sasuke order it for me and had him put it in here."

Still no reaction.

"It's a simple thank you for being with me all this time and not giving up on me when I was ready to give up on myself."

Naruto had to admit that he was foolish for trying to push Sakura away. But at the time, he truly believed that Sakura would be better off without him in her life. Despite his actions, she still came back to him. How could he turn her away when she still fought to keep their relationship alive? He couldn't. He wouldn't dare to. He needed her in his life more than he let on.

This was a simple thank you for that.

Still nothing.

"Hey come on Sakura-chan, I want to know what you think." Naruto waved his hand in front of her face. "Say something."

"…something."

"Oye, oye." Naruto chuckled nervously.

"How…how did you even afford this? Did Sasuke buy it for you?"

"There would be no point if he bought it for me. This was all on me."

"Again, how did you even afford this?"

"I just bought it. Simple as that." He replied non-chalet.

"How do you expect me to believe that?"

"And here I thought you'd be happy with it."

"After you tell me how you bought it, I'll decide whether to be happy or not."

"You are honestly the most complicated girl I know…" He sighed "What? Do you want proof or something?"

"It would help."

Naruto scratched his head and disappeared into his room. He came out with a small booklet - his bank account book. "Here."

When she opened it, there was indeed a withdrawal of 5 million yen recently but what surprised Sakura - to the point of wanting to get her eyes check get her eyes reexamined - was that the amount subtracted was merely a small (very, very small) percentage of the remaining amount. _What…the….hell? _

"Am I seeing this right? You have this much," Sakura pointed to the huge figure "In the bank?"

"I guess."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were rich?" Sakura felt like she was cheated for some reason. The figure in this book would have made the richest man in the world tremble in fear (Bill Gates FTW).

"Er...you never asked?" He grinned nervously.

Sakura felt faint. That was a horribly cheap excuse. "Why are you living in this crappy apartment when you could be living in a luxury pent house suite or a mansion no less?"

"My apartment maybe crap but I think that the simple life suits me more than living the 'big life'."

"If you have so much money, why do you work at that fight club? You have enough to support your family don't you?"

"…they don't want me to."

"What?"

"They don't want me to spend more money than I should. They only want me to help; they don't want me to change their lives. Even the twins, as spoiled as they are, are adamant about me using my fortune on them. They agree with everyone else."

"I see but where did you get all this money?"

"Well I told you that my guardian sends me money and junk every month, right? Well, he is an international famous writer so he sends a lot of cash. And I make a lot of money in the fight club. They pay me per fight so it's a pretty penny-"

Naruto stopped halfway seeming to be considering something for a moment before his eyes darkened. "No…I'm sorry. I lied. My parents were rich."

_His parents? He never talked about them before._

"My Mom was a businesswoman who invested in a lot of other companies while my Dad owned companies all over the world. From electronics to school supplies, you name it. He ran it like the amazing pro he was." Naruto smiled bitterly.

"In name I'm the owner of _Spiral_ _Enterprise."_

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise._ No way..._

Everyone knew of that company. In only a few years Spiral Enterprise or _Spiral_ became the leader of world commerce and finance for its technological advances in health, education and communication. The CEO Minato Namikaze was a new age genius who gained a vast fortune off simple and innovative ideas. His heart was as big as his company. He could always be found investing small portions of his wealth to medical facilities, electronic companies and strangely a few...restaurants.

_Why didn't I see it sooner?_ She read on his weird (as the newspapers put it) contributions to the restaurants. Each of those restaurants served _Ramen_! He invested in restaurants that were hand picked by his son!

And his son was right in front of her. She cursed herself for not seeing the similarities (physical) between them. But their personalities (apart from their big hearts) couldn't be more different. That must have been his mother's influence. Kushina..._Uzumaki_. Sakura mentally slapped herself for not seeing the connection.

Unfortunately the last she heard of them, they met an unfortunate end in a car crash a few years back. That must have been devastating for a young boy.

"Jiraiya, my godfather, runs the company in my place. It's why he is always away from home. He does write erotic novels from time to time though."

Naruto crashed on his couch, scratching his head out of frustration. _How much should I tell her...? I have to be careful not to bring 'that' up._

"I'm the sole heir so naturally all of their assets and funds became mine. But I never decided to use the money. I don't...I can't lay a finger on the money. I believe that would only trounce on all their hard work - all their hardships, all their endeavors over the years. Neither of them were born rich, they worked hard to get where they did. I'd rather be like them and work for my own money."

"You really an idiot, you know that?" Sakura muttered as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder.

_This guy really is…_

"Sakura...chan?"

Without raising her head, Sakura wrapped her arms around Naruto pulling him into an awkward hug. Confused and slightly taken aback, Naruto went along with it and returned her awkward embrace.

"Thank you for the piano and thank you for telling me." She whispered, snuggling closer. "And I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?"

"For my behavior today."

"You didn't-"

"I want you know how I feel. I'm not ashamed to say it anymore." She hung her head debating on how she should say it. "Ever since we left from morning for our date, I've been stressing over one sole thought. I've been thinking about, well, _you_." Sakura notched her head up and stared at Naruto with an expression that made his heart skip a beat.

"I was scared that I would be seeing you in a different way since we started dating. I didn't know whether I would be looking at you with love goggles or 'blind love' as they call it. It made me partially confused about how I feel about you. Whether I truly care about you or its some emotion that will disappear with time."

"But I just wanted to say that I do worry about you. I do care about you; so much that it hurts when you're in trouble. I want to make you smile. I want you make you happy and I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life. That's how I feel right now. I'm sure that you feel the same, right?"

He nodded slowly.

"These new feelings will take some getting used to." She notched her head upwards, bringing her lips to his for a brief moment before she pulled away."But, I don't think that they are bad at all."

"You're a really weird girl, you know that?"

"How so?"

"Usually other girls would go 'Kya! Naruto-kun, you're so manly! Thank you for buying this for me! I luv' you lots!' if I bought them something."

"What other girls?" Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

"There aren't any. It's what I imagined you'd be like in my head."

"Way to ruin the mood Romeo." She slowly closed her eyes and pressed her head against his shoulder once more.

"It's not ruined." Naruto wrapped his arm around her slim shoulder, pulling her closer to him. His goofy smile was ever present on his face as he gently kissed her forehead moving down to her nose and cheeks. "Luv you lots, Sakura-chan."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh as he finally kissed her on the lips.

_He was an idiot...but he was her idiot._

* * *

><p>Eventually, Naruto retired to the couch while Sakura turned to her new piano (which she was dying to try out). A decision was made that the piano would stay in Naruto's apartment mainly on the count that Sakura had no place for it in her house. But the fact that her mother would raise an issue with Sakura's boyfriend buying expensive gifts for her also had something to do with it. The two decided it was for the best since Sakura was always at Naruto's place anyway.<p>

"You're amazing Sakura-chan. You should have continued with your piano lessons." Said the blonde haired boy, swaying his finger like he was the maestro of his own concert as he rested flatly on his couch. "I bet if you tried you'd have your own concert in no time flat."

"Yeah right. I'll keep the piano as a hobby of mine. I still don't know what I'd like to do in the future though."

"Well, what are you good at?"

"Nothing in particularly, but I've become a real bookworm with my medical books and I'm already a nurse for _a certain blonde_ so I thought maybe the medical field would suit me."

"You mean like a doctor?" Naruto asked peeking at her from his couch.

"I don't see why not. I've already learned first aid because of you and I honestly enjoy helping people."

Naruto hummed as he thought about it, but images of Sakura's violent behavior and deadly punches immediately came to his mind. "I think you'd worsen your patients conditions actually..."

_"What was that?"_

"I said you'd fix them up in no time flat!" Naruto replied instantly, sinking lower into the couch.

"Good boy."

Sakura cleared her mind, searching for any musical melody she could recreate in piano form. Suddenly a perfectly familiar melody came mind and Sakura acted on instinct as she began to hit the keys. Sakura gave herself some credit on her ability to play the piano so smoothly from the song in her head. Naruto on the other hand was less than enthusiastic about the new piece.

Naruto's eyes widened significantly as the strange melody entered his eardrum. "…Sakura, what are you playing?"

"Oh, this is a melody that has been stuck in my head for as long as I can remember. I don't know where I heard it from but it's even been in my dreams."

"Are you sure you don't remember?" Naruto got up from the couch and stared at her expressionlessly.

"Remember what?" She asked, a bit frightened by Naruto's expression. Naruto bit his lower lip before he got off the couch walking up to her with a bitter expression.

"I really don't think I should be doing this so soon but...I think you're ready to see it now." Naruto placed his hand on his prized locket and slowly took it off."Tell me what you make of this."

Sakura eyed the object for the longest while before she hesitantly picked it up. She slowly looked up to Naruto and he replied with a small nod. Sakura could feel an unknown source of pressure coming from within her body when she opened the locket.

…

…

…

_What? _

The locket held the picture of a girl. Not just any girl. A young girl with lengthy rose pink hair that reacted her kneecaps with large emerald green eyes that sparkled along with her prize winning smile. Sakura felt like she had seen a ghost (Naruto would agree).

"Is this me…?"

"Yeah, it is. You were a cutest girl in world at that time."

"…huh?"

"Oh, don't misunderstand you're still cute! You're amazingly beautiful and sexy as hell now!" Naruto smiled trying to brighten the grim mood with a joke, but Sakura's confusion only seemed to worsened.

"Just hear me out, okay? And stop looking at me like I'm some crazy pedophile-stalker."

"Stop joking around Naruto! Why do you have this?"

Naruto stretched his hand over his back and rubbed the back of his neck. "My mom took this picture of you when we first met." Naruto smiled fondly at the memory " That melody you just played was a song my mom used to play for us."

"...what? Naruto. That doesn't make any sense. I only met you a few months ago. In a classroom no less!"

"Not...exactly. Believe it or not but you and I met before when we were seven."

"I talk to my mom about you Naruto! She does_ not_ know you!"

"She isn't your mom." Naruto said bitterly, with a small hint of frustration behind it. "Sakura, I'm sorry but I don't know how to say this without freaking you out..."

"You aren't making any sense!"

"...both your parents and mine died in a car crash ten years ago. "

_"...eh?"  
><em>

* * *

><p><em><em>Edit: Fixed the grammar errors. Added information.<em>  
><em>


	14. Clashing Feelings

_A/N: The Past is always a surprising thing, no?_

* * *

><p><em>o~o~o<br>_

_Clashing Feelings_

_o~o~o  
><em>

* * *

><p>The morning sun shone through the window striking a young girl's face. She lazily rose her hand to her face to block out the light. She opened her bright-green eyes as she stared at her pale hand hovering above her face. How long had it been since her skin became as white as snow?<p>

She slowly got up, throwing her blanket off and grabbing her stuffed bear, Rizel making her way to her extravagant looking dresser. She picked up her hairbrush and brushed her long luxurious bright-red hair while see stared half-asleep at her slightly chubby cheeks. Still in her pajamas, she slipped out of her room and made her way to the door next to hers.

Her mother was always busy in the study and her dad was always of at work so she spent most of her time alone. She didn't have friends she'd particularly want to spend time with nor had any particular place she'd like to go. All she had in the world was her teddy and her sister, Sakura. But now, her sister was gone.

"Onee-chan, are you up?"

There was no answer. Not even a peep.

As of late, her sister hadn't been home for very long. Before she would always be in her books or with her friends doing whatever it was they did in her room but now she was hardly ever home.

A few nights ago, she was snoozing the night away until she heard some screaming from the living room below her room. She was half asleep at the time, so she barely registered what was said. All she heard was Sakura and her mother's screaming down below. Things like 'the truth', 'what did you do to me?'; 'protection' and 'marshmallows' were said.

"Wait that last part seems off…" (_She dreamt of marshmallows_)

Anyway, after that she never saw Sakura around the house again. Her mother said that she came in at very late hours and went straight to bed and before dawn arose she'd be gone the next day. But soon enough Sakura stopped coming home altogether. It had been a week now that she had not seen her beloved sister.

No matter how many times she had asked her mother about what happened that night, she would never receive an answer from her. Her parents had called the school and to their relief she was still attending classes. They weren't all _too_ worried about Sakura's disappearance which made her believe that they knew where Sakura had gone.

Hana could have only thought of one possible place she could be.

"_His _house_."_

* * *

><p>"Is it just me or are those two closer than they were before?" Yui asked pointing over to Naruto and Sakura, who were happily chatting away on the stairwell.<p>

"What do you mean?" Sai remarked.

"Weren't they fighting? Sakura couldn't even look in Naruto's general direction in the beginning of the week but now she's all over him."

Yui, being the one who actually took care of the apartment complex for a living, noticed that Sakura had been sleeping over in Naruto's apartment all week long. Sakura had also been skipped out on school for a few days while looking eerily sick and Naruto seemed like he was lost in his own little world but now they looked inseparable. They had their little squabbles every now and then but now it seemed like they forgave each other by the weekend's end.

Maybe it was her 'Nosey' older sister' instincts acting up but their relationship seemed _much _better than what it was before. They wouldn't leave each other's side not matter what occasion came up. These developments lead her to believe that something happened over the week - _something amazing or otherwise_.

"I think it's great that they made up." Sai smiled "That kind of atmosphere wasn't doing anyone good."

"It's not that I'm worried about. Don't they seem, I don't know, intimate?" Yui asked. Sai shrugged and returned to his room while Yui stayed behind and spied on the two. _It's not spying; it's stealthy collecting information without anyone's knowledge. They won't mind._

"Hey Sakura, I passed by this shop yesterday and I found something you might like."

"What is it?"

"A princess doll."

"…I'm not a little girl Naruto. I feel a little insulted that you think I actually like those."

"Really? Ino told me you loved them."

"Oh come on that was years ago!"

Naruto grinned largely as he got up and ran up the flight of stairs only to return minutes later with said princess doll. From Yui's distance she could only identify a few things about the doll. Its hair was rose pink, much like Sakura's, with a frilly ivory white dress.

Naruto shot her a suggestive look when he noticed Sakura's spellbound eyes when she made contact with the doll. In a split second Sakura noticed his look.

"What? It's not like I like the doll, I just find the dress cute." Sakura defended. Naruto's expression didn't change.

"Oh come on! It's for little girls why would I even want something like this?" Still no change.

"Listen to me you bonehead! I do not want or even like this doll!"

"…you like it don't you?" Naruto whispered, audibly enough for Yui to hear.

"Wha? No! Um, it's…that is to say…shut up!" Sakura quickly reached up to grab the doll but Naruto skillfully pulled it away from her.

"If you admit that you're a big girl who still loves dolls I'll give it to you."

"What? Why do I have to say something so embarrassing?" Sakura retorted still trying to grab the French doll from Naruto's hand. Naruto pulled away from her but she viciously grabbed his shirt and pulled him right back down.

"It's because you've been dishonest the entire time," Naruto held her shoulder's down and kept the doll at an arm's length "Think of it as a lesson in honesty."

"Give me that you twit!"

"No way. Do you admit it?"

"Never!"

Sakura took a step to give herself some leverage but as fate would have it her foot slipped at the last moment which cause her to barrel forward knocking Naruto down to the stairs. Sakura rubbed her forehead and noticed she bumped into Naruto's chest. She had him practically pinned to the stairwell. Luckily for her the doll was knocked out of Naruto's hand and fell next to her but her eyes weren't focused on the doll.

"Ow! You okay Sakura-chan...?" Naruto trailed off when he noticed the look in Sakura's eyes. She looked determined, like she had made her mind up about something. Her cheeks were gravely flushed and her breathing escalated more as time passed by. Sakura bit her lip; as much as her brain was telling her to stop her body was telling her something else.

_What is she thinking about?_ Naruto thought. "Hey Sakura...?"

Before he could finish Sakura was already lowering her head. She stopped for a moment when she considered how Naruto felt about of all this. She peered into his bright sapphire eyes which reflected the hurt she had been enduring and the comfort she had been seeking all this time.

What was she doing? This wasn't the right way to solve her problems. She had been clinging to Naruto because she had no one else to rely on. He made her feel safe, loved and cared for. He soothed the ache in her heart but momentary comfort from Naruto would have only made things worse. Sakura with a tear streaming down her face took her hand and gently brushed his cheeks. _This should be enough._

"Kya!" As if a spark went off in his head, Naruto roughly grabbed Sakura's shoulders and literally turned the tables on her as he pinned her to the stairwell. That face of hers was enough to set off a land mine in his head. He couldn't control himself anymore.

Naruto moved in closer and slowly pressed his lips against hers. Sakura placed her hands against his chest in an attempt to hold him back but the closer he got the more she didn't want to push him away. _God what's wrong with me? Why don't I want to push him away..._

Naruto stopped for a moment but when Sakura lowered her arms and closed her eyes. It was like she gave him the go signal. Naruto didn't hide his intension when he kissed her deeply. Sakura moaned slightly as their tongues entwined with one another creating their own little dance.

Sakura let him. She wanted to feel him against her. His hands dug through her short hair which astonished her. She felt good. She felt amazing. The wondrous feelings that Naruto poured into her made her entire body sensitive to his touch. She felt happy but all emotion filled her with a sense of dismay and distress. It began to scare her deeply.

An alarm bell of caution went off in Sakura's head when the sound of wind chimes entered her ear drums and she found herself pushing Naruto away.

"Naruto…wait…we can't. Not like this, not now."

Naruto pulled away from her, grief and guilt clearly stuck on his face. "…I'm sorry. I just saw your face and I…"

"It's ok, Naruto."

Naruto rolled off her, sitting beside her and roughly combed his hand through his hair. "Ahhh, dammit."

Sakura calmed herself and sat quietly on the stairs until her 'wondrous emotions' went away with the wind. When she regained control of her emotions, she stretched over Naruto's sullen face and grabbed the doll and brought it to her chest.

"Thank you for the doll Naruto." He didn't respond. He didn't even face her general direction. "Say something."

"Something."

"Now you're just copying me."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, please." Apologizing would only make her feel worse. To get her mind off it, Sakura looked at the doll once more "You know, I know the perfect spot for this. It will go great on the desk in my room…ah." Sakura said it without even realizing it. She couldn't return home. Not after what she said to her guardians.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto finally turned to her with a worried expression.

"I know, Naruto. I know I can't stay here forever but..."

"I dunno about that." Naruto finally smiled "This _is_ our love nest after all."

"You know, sometimes your perverted jokes seem to calm me down."

"Who said I was joking?" Naruto's expression softened as he buried his face in her hair "This is your house as well as it is mine."

"…thank you." Sakura said, snuggling up to Naruto's chest.

Yui stood there with a calmed expression and a heavy heart. Luckily she got to her wind chimes before the two got any deeper. Just what were the two going through to make them go through such extremes? Whatever it was Yui knew that she had to do something about it before anything like this happened again.

Later that night, Yui found herself climbing the stairs to Naruto's apartment. She understood that couples spent nights over at their partner's homes for obvious reasons but if she didn't make sure of something on her own, her conscious would never be cleared.

When she came to the door without second thought, Yui quietly opened the door and snuck into the living room. She wasn't proud of her lock picking skills but this was an extreme situation. She entered the room with a blank expression on her face. She was physically stunned.

The room was actually quite livable now that most of the trash was gone. It must have been Sakura's doing. It had been months since she last entered this room, but with Sakura around she may never need to again.

She turned he gaze to the couch and she found herself smiling almost uncontrollably. It was like a blessing from up above. All the insecurity and uneasiness she had been feeling had been washed away. Naruto and Sakura were sleeping soundly on the couch with his arms wrapped around his lover's body.

She watched as a tear drop fell from Sakura's eye but Yui's uneasiness continued to drop for Sakura had a small smile on her face. Whatever hardships they were going through, Yui knew they would pull through for they had each other above anyone else.

* * *

><p>The sunlight peeked in from the windows. It was becoming brighter by the second. The dark haired boy groaned uncomfortably before he hid his head under his pillow.<p>

The alarm clock rang loudly, blasting into his ears. His head throbbed. As if by reflex, in his half-awoken state, his fingers searched for the button on top of the alarm clock that would stop the awful ringing noise. When he finally found the damned thing he relaxed. But there was still one problem; the alarm-clock was still going.

_What the hell?_

If he didn't put at stop to its insufferable ringing he was going to have a headache for the rest of the day. So he did what any normal person would do. He stretched his arm outwards and held the clock in his hands and smashed it against the floor.

_This way he could have slept all he wanted._

"_Sasuke-sama! Get your lazy ass out of bed right this instant!"_ A loud but feminine voice shrieked.

_Or not. _

He lazily glanced outwards from under his pillow meeting her gaze. _Tachibana_ _Ren_.

Sasuke was told by his few peers that the tomboyish sixteen year old was beautiful. _He disagreed._ Her light chocolate skin and lavender eyes were obvious indicators of her original lightning country descent. They were definitely her most striking features apart from her volatile personality (100% Sasuke's opinion).

Normally she'd wear the frilly maid outfit he bought for her (forced her to wear) but today she wore a white high-collared, sleeveless loose-fitting dress with a black apron over it, a black band on her left wrist and standard sandals. She had long, dark-onyx hair that reached down to her calves.

She happened to be the daughter of Sasuke's current maid, Akina Tachibana. If she wasn't around it could have only meant that her mother had either been too busy or she was sick. She did often find herself with various sicknesses (cold, flu, fever, etc). Sasuke decided that was the latter.

"Quiet woman. Let me sleep."

"Let me sleep my butt! You'll be stuck in here all day while you let a perfectly beautiful day pass you by!"

"I'm tired. I demand that you get out of my room right this instant."

"Then next time don't stay up on your computer in middle of the night doing god knows what."

Ren waited for his response. She waited, and waited some more but there was nothing. That was, until she heard snoring.

"Heh, you're a brave kid alright." She cracked her knuckles and grinned.

_..._

"GAHHH!" Ren felt nothing but excruciating pain when Sasuke put her in a submission hold. He had grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back. "I give I give!"

The vein on Sasuke's forehead had grown three sizes larger that morning when he released her. She had absolutely no idea how he countered her so quickly. It all happened so fast and his eyes weren't even open!

"You're so cruel!" Ren frantically rubbed her arm while trying to keep her tears at bay "I'm a girl you know! We aren't meant to be handled like that!"

"Then don't try to attack me when I'm trying to sleep." Sasuke, against his will, got up from the bed and did his daily stretches. "Besides, what have I told you about acting tough when you're nothing but a weakling?"

"You know what the kids at my school are like. I have to keep up this appearance or I'm dead meat. Tough kids are respected and underprivileged kids like me are- hey where are you going!" Sasuke had already made his way out of the room.

"That was rude you know…" Ren protested.

"Cup of orange juice, scrambled eggs and two slices of toast." He said while marching over to his extravagant looking computer system.

"Would it hurt you to say please?" Ren sighed. He had always been like this - distant and indifferent. All he ever did on his days off from school was type away at his computer. Ren didn't see the appeal in those overpriced typewriters but Sasuke couldn't keep his fingers off them.

As his maid, Ren had to be present at his wake and call at all times. Ren didn't exactly like the job but it paid well and she was told that she was free to feel at home (only when Itachi was around). The penthouse suite, though larger than the average penthouse, was almost always relatively clean and there were only two persons living here. Meaning that she'd only have to clean for an hour at most and cook three times a day.

Yes, the only thing in the job description she did _not_ enjoy was Sasuke Uchiha! She wholeheartedly believed that he poured his entire being into making things difficult for her. Despite his appearance he was a grade A slob who couldn't be bothered to clean up after himself. He was brilliant but he never threw a simple 'thank you' at her once in the entire three years she had known him.

"Breakfast is ready," Ren placed his order on the table but he didn't move an inch.

"Bring it over here woman." He retorted not bothering to look away from his screen.

"Yes, _master_."

_Oh how she hated her job - mostly just him_.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is this…?" Sasuke muttered softly, combing his large hand through his dark wavy hair. The noisy woman (Ren) had already disappeared to finish her primary objective for the day, cleaning his room.<p>

Sasuke used the public computer (Itachi's computer) for today, hoping to find anything he could on the recent happenings around Konoha. His brother, despite being the youngest inspector in the Konoha police force, had always been the shady sort especially since he began working with that masked freak, Tobi. Itachi had encrypted his files but they were nothing for a genius like Sasuke to decode but what he found in the files astonished him to no end.

It was no surprise that Itachi had information on the citizens of Konoha but there was a specific file codenamed 'THE ARC' with the names of young children. These were no ordinary children either. They were the heirs and offspring of large co-operations and top officials all over Konoha. Naruto and himself were no exception but what truly shocked the young Uchiha was the dozens of images and information of Naruto's current lover, Sakura Haruno in the very same file.

_What was she doing here? That woman is as plain as they come. And as far as my knowledge goes she lacks any contact with any influential persons (excluding Naruto and myself of course) in this city or otherwise. _

"Welcome back, Itachi-sama!" Ren greeted enthusiastically.

_Crap._

"…what are you doing…Sasuke?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Sasuke turned the rotating chair, crossed his legs, and placed his head in the palm of his hand.

"Where is the cute little brother who used to cling to me and called me 'Onii-chan'?" He asked in his cool, lazy voice.

"Sorry but I don't look up to _corrupt criminals_." Sasuke glared "Now answer my question."

"Don't be so cruel to your Nii-san Sasuke-kun." Another man pulled up besides Itachi.

"_…why are you in my house…?_" Sasuke gritted his teeth roughly.

This man was nothing but thorn in Sasuke's side. Every investigation Sasuke looked into, this man's name would appear in each and every single one of them. From disappearances to murders this man had always been the center. From Sasuke's last investigation and the evidence he came across, he was 99% certain that this man was the one who got Naruto shot.

Sasuke had more than enough evidence to put him behind bars but no matter what method he used to capture this _abomination_ he'd always evade the authorities one way or ther other. Sasuke knew it was Itachi's doing. There wasn't any other possible way.

But there was something that Sasuke could never figure out. What were his motives? Why would he want to get his prized fighter shot?

_Unless…_

"Don't be mean Sasuke-kun. Itachi invited me for some tea and cakes. Oh how I love cakes!" He squirmed and trashed about.

"Of course you'd be the center of this. What are you planning?"

"I'm not planning anything, Sasuke-kun. _Tobi is a good boy_." From the hole in his mask, his dark eyes shot an intimidating glare at Sasuke that sent chills up his spine. His voice was dark, icy and threatening. Sasuke could have felt his heart rate escalate slowly and his breathing became heavier.

_All of this was caused by his voice? Just who was this guy…?_

* * *

><p><em>While Naruto and Sakura battle with the conflicting feelings within themselves, they are branded as targets(?) for Tobi's neferious plans.<em>

A/N: I know this isn't the big explanation of Naruto's ending line in the last chapter but that will be coming up soon enough. I'll have the next few chapters out soon. So until then bare with me.

_Edt: Cleaned up a few of the errors as well as plot holes. _


	15. First Strike

_A/N: I warn you all that this chapter is quite the read but as always it delivers...I hope. _

* * *

><p><em>0~0~0<br>_

_First Strike:_

_The Clock is Ticking towards The Beginning of the End  
><em>

_0~0~0  
><em>

* * *

><p>It was only late October, yet one could already feel the brisk northern wind blowing by. The road gradually lost its bold color with the setting of the sun. At the corner of a large building, inside an empty alleyway, pieces of fallen leaves dance elegantly in the wind. Narrowing their eyes to prevent dust from blowing in, the people on the street run home.<p>

'Haze' eyebrows were raised as 'Haze' watched the passing civilians, as if sensing a coming storm. 'Haze's long period of translucence was coming to an end. To perform a white-collar crime, one must both conceive and boldly execute a perfect plan. The time, place, and necessary sacrifices must be thoroughly thought out beforehand. In order to achieve this perfection, 'Haze' had spent many hours planning.

'Haze's 'client' wished to unleash a power struggle within this city; a struggle to control men of importance and the future itself. To rule those men he needed overwhelming power to achieve his objectives. He would not hesitate to justify his criminal acts as a mere game. One would call him insane from his motives alone, but once his plan came to words his sanity could not be argued with.

He had already acquired the money and 'underlings' – young adults –who were crucial pieces to his eternal game of chess. All that was needed now was the correct moment to unleash his dastardly vision.

The battle would soon begin.

"Enough prattle," Haze dismissed the thoughts of 'that man' and continued on with the mission. A lone figure stood upon the of an apartment complex looking down at the city. Haze's light gray eyes, ever vigilant scanned the dark city below. Haze's visage was that of a grim angel looking down upon earth.

The mission was simple. All it took was a clear mind, skills which defied man's laws of physics (easy for Haze) and a set of Haze's sneaking and entering tools. Haze grabbed the edge of the roof and slipped onto the railing of the highest balcony, landing with an unearthly grace. Quietly slipping through the sliding glass door, Haze was amazed that it hadn't been locked. It seemed that the owner had not expected anyone to enter through the balcony.

The apartment had not been the fanciest that Haze ever saw, but it would make for an underprivileged person's dream house. The only item that was worth stealing was the grand piano in the living room, but sadly this was not the objective. Haze's attention changed eastward from the piano to the elegantly painted door. If the information Haze recieved was correct, his objective was just beyond this door but the moment contact was made with the door, disaster struck.

A blonde, with spiky hair appeared yawning loudly while he scratched his stomach. Haze froze instantly.

_Compromised so early into the mission?_ _Impossible._

The boy seemed tired; maybe he wouldn't notice the figure dressing in black latex? Haze's soul froze over when the boy made eye contact. He stared for what seemed like an eternity before he yawned slowly, opened the fridge swallowing a gallon of water and turning away back to where he came from.

_Safe._

Haze relaxed. Haze had not found this possible but extreme idiots did exist in this world. As if the boy had never appeared, Haze pulled out the set of tools, grabbing the lock pick and gently entering it into the doors lock.

Strangely, Haze found something amiss. There was something definitely wrong in the air. As if an inner voice commanded Haze to do so, Haze rolled to the side which just so happened to save Haze's skin. One look at Haze's previous location where the blonde had just kicked, he was well aiming for Haze's head. At this point, Haze expected the boy to shout words along the lines of 'Who are you?', 'Where did you come from?', 'What do you want?', etc but the boy simply made another attempt for Haze's life with a dropped axe kick.

The boy had no intention of asking anything. He was honestly trying to kill Haze. Haze got everything that was needed to know about the boy's intentions from the beastly glare the boy gave. Pure killing intent radiated from his body as he continued his brutal onslaught of attacks that Haze had trouble avoiding.

"Naruto?" A feminine voice whispered out through the door Haze tried to unlock. It wasn't locked. _Figures._

"_Don't you dare come out of that room!"_

The gravity and force in his voice would have made any man's bone's quake with fear but not Haze. Haze was not a mere mortal. But still, the combination of the boy's vicious flurry of strikes, the eyes of an enraged demon with the brute strength of a _gorilla (!)_ did slightly cause Haze some mental discomfort.

Haze had no choice but to retreat for now, but at that moment, Haze made his first mistake – showing the boy Haze's back. In that instant, the boy called Naruto (Strange name) lifted the chair with his leg (Not sure how) and kicked it straight at Haze. Haze had by then turned to face the boy, only to have the chair make direct contact with Haze's chest causing Haze to crash through the glass balcony door only to have the railing prevent Haze from falling over.

Before Haze had any time to recover, the boy had already pressed his foot against the chair forcing Haze's back into the metallic railing. With the amount of force the boy was exhibiting either the railing would have to mend or Haze's back would have been broken. Haze was no mere mortal but pain was pain. As Haze's body bent further, the screaming became louder and louder until the girl could bare it no more.

"Naruto you're killing him! Stop!" The girl shrieked.

As if snapping out of a trance, the boy's foot reeled back slightly and this gave Haze a chance to escape. Haze kicked the boy squarely in the stomach, and made a dash for the westward side of the balcony rail and launched off the edge landing on a rusty Air conditioner. Haze did not stay here long, with a stomp Haze was off the machine grabbing onto the nearest outstretched pole, using the momentum to momentarily fly through the air and onto the drainage pipe. From there on Haze rode the pipe downwards, jumping onto the ground and disappearing into the night.

Haze couldn't help but feel the boy's eyes boring holes into the back of his head. Naruto Uzumaki was not one to be trifled with. This was not the last they would see of Haze.

* * *

><p>"Wait, Naruto got robbed?" Tenten repeated surprise written all over her face.<p>

"Not exactly. He didn't take anything." Sakura replied, raising her head from her desk for a mere moment before she brought it back. She didn't get enough sleep.

"If he didn't take anything why is Rambo over there so bitter?" Ino notched her head towards Naruto who sat on his chair with a crossed expression.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just furious that he didn't beat the guys face in before he ran away."

"Did you guys call the p-police?" Hinata couldn't help but ask the all important question.

"We did and it didn't do us any good." Sakura covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned, "They couldn't find any evidence of a break in, kept us up all night and even questioned us if we dreamt the whole thing up. There was even the broken glass door right in front of them but they only passed it off as a freak accident. Can you believe that?"

"Excuse me, '_us_'?" Shikamaru pointed out. "I assumed that you got to Naruto's house this morning and found out about the incident, but from what you just said there, it sounds like you were there yourself when it happened."

_Crap._ Sakura hadn't bothered to explain to everyone that she was sleeping over at Naruto's. She didn't need all the unnecessary attention from being questioned. Unfortunately for her, everyone looked at her with curious eyes. Sakura smiled shyly, eyeing Naruto sending a mental message to help her.

Naruto shrugged off her glance, turning his eyes to the nearest distraction "Wouldn't it be easier to explain it to them?"

"Naruto!"

"Explain what to us?" Sakura knew it was almost impossible to hide from Ino's prying eyes.

"It's nothing! Can't we just get back to the topic at hand?" Sakura defended. Maybe a quick change of topic might have helped.

"Whether you were there or not _is_ an important part of the topic, no?" Tenten flawlessly brought Sakura back into the spotlight. Betrayed by her boyfriend and now one of her best friends, what next?

"Fess up Sakura." Ino slammed her hands down on Sakura's desk. By now the entire gang had closed in on Sakura, surrounding her which left no chance to escape. _What is this? An interrogation?_

"That's enough guys. Give the girl some space." In one swift movement, Naruto hooked the back of Sakura's chair with his foot and fished her out of the crowd.

Who would have thought the Ill-tempered knight would have a change of heart? Naruto had to admit that he was being pissy, but abandoning Sakura because of his mood would have really been a douche move.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Kiba barked.

"Deal with it."

"Oh! His paternal instincts just kicked in to protect his woman." Ino teased.

"That's hot." Tenten giggled.

"What's got your panties in a bunch anyway?" Kiba gave up with the integration (which seemed like a fun thing to do to pass the time) and moved to why the killing machine was in such a bad mood. Whatever it was it must have been huge to get this guy angry.

"I mean, yeah the guy escaped but he didn't steal anything so it's no big deal right?"

"Seeing the trouncing you gave him, I don't think he will return anytime soon." Neji added.

It occurred to Sakura that she never bothered asking Naruto why he was so furious. She had just assumed with what happened last night that Naruto was angry that someone broke into his house.

"It wasn't what he tried to steal. It's what he tried to do." A cool voice declared from the classroom door, "Isn't that right, Naruto?"

All heads whipped to the dark haired figure that practically materialized into the classroom. Sasuke Uchiha always knew how to make a flashy entrance.

"What does he mean 'tried' to do?" Choji asked still munching on his chips.

"What did he try to do, Naruto-kun?" Rock-Lee asked.

Naruto looked at the group with an indescribably glare that left everyone tense. "If he wanted to rob me, he would have taken my game console or one of my vases or just looked for the safe I have hidden. If he wanted to kill me, my door was wide open but the _bastard_ passed me straight and went to try to unlock the guest room."

"W-what w-was in the g-guest room, N-n-naruto-kun?"

Naruto narrowed his sight as he cast his eyes downward. The group followed suit to a pink haired girl who seemed to be the most surprised out of them all.

"What? Me?" Sakura turned to Naruto with an incredulous look on her face "What did he want with _me_?"

Naruto shook his head.

"You are the lover of one of the town's most famous delinquents. Rather than hurt Naruto directly, why not make him suffer by attacking the ones he loves?" Sasuke claimed coldly. Naruto audibly gritted his teeth.

_Is that why he is so angry? _"Naru-"

"Sakura!" Naruto roared (which quite frankly scared the crap out of her) placing his hands firmly down on her shoulders. "I will always be there for you. I couldn't do it before but now things are different. I swear that I will do _anything_ to keep you out of danger. So please believe in me when I say this, _I will protect you_."

Naruto gazed into her eyes with incredible sternness. The intensity of his voice made Sakura's feminine side weak and faint. His resolution was absolute. Sakura actually felt crushed under the weight of Naruto's words which left her speechless. She felt her entire face become feverish and humid. She couldn't comeback with a voiced response so meekly nodded instead.

"I feel like I'm watching something I shouldn't…" Shikamaru scratched the back of his head while he muttered his all too famous line 'What a drag…' subconsciously.

"Yeah…it would be easy to tease them on this. That's no fun." Ino agreed.

Although Shikamaru had to admit that he was slightly impressed with Naruto's choice of words. He had avoided using the word 'Promise' which meant that what was said to be done had a chance of not happening – i.e. a promise could be broken. Naruto made a declaration that he would protect her against all odds.

"…ignoring the melodramatic drama in front of us…I feel that Sakura isn't the only one in danger." Sasuke added "It's not like I care or anything, but I suggest that everyone here be on guard for the next couple of weeks. Just in case." With that last warning, Sasuke turned to his sit. As if on cue, the school bell rang and the teens said their goodbyes as they headed off into their respective classes.

"Sasuke, do you know anything about this? Because if you do, I want to know everything." Naruto urged.

"…no. I don't know anything as of yet."

Sasuke's mind wandered to the last words his crossed with _that man_. '_Don't speak a word of what you saw today Sasuke-kun. Accidents seem to be on the rise lately. It'd be sad if_ **each and everyone that you know ended up dead**_…from the accidents of course.' _

He had said it in a sickeningly sweet tone that Sasuke couldn't help but feel his breakfast resurfacing.

* * *

><p>Even after the extensive and excruciatingly pain class of P.E Tenten was as energetic as ever. The 10 laps that had basically destroyed the bodies of her classmates was nothing more than a morning jog around the neighborhood to her.<p>

"I think I'm going to die…" One of her classmates whined.

"You definitely need to work out more. I thought you were going to die too." Tenten laughed nervously.

With a loud, 'Hit the showers girls!' all the other girls left for the showers but Tenten decided that she make another 2 laps before she would shower.

When Tenten finished her shower, she immediately put on her school uniform. She was ready to head back to class feeling as fresh as a newborn baby. However before she could do that, Tenten noticed that there was something horrifyingly wrong. The room was completely quiet. Girls weren't exactly a quiet bunch. _Where did everyone go?_

Tenten wiped her forehead noticing how the room seemed to be warmer than it usually was. _Strange it was fine just a minute ago._

In a matter of seconds, the steam from the shower room entered the girl's locker room. Tenten was more than certain that she had turned off the shower when she was done. In no time flat, the steam filled the room and lowered her visibility considerably. But just then, she could make out a figure walking towards her.

"Hey what's going on back there? Is everything ok?" The girl didn't answer. She couldn't even make out the girl's face. All she could see was a large black slender blob just standing amidst the steam. Just then the figure gave a loud chuckle as it made its way to Tenten.

"Black Latex…" Tenten slowly took a step back "You're the one who tried to rob Naruto aren't you?"

"Amazing, the ditzy valley girl figured that out all by herself." The figure answered snidely.

"Don't call me that!"

In the blink of an eye, the figure's leg smashed against the locker next to Tenten's head. Tenten's tiny body filled with uneasiness and fear as she shivered slightly_. She got her foot there without me even noticing it. Who is she?_ Without warning the girl in black burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Tenten's eyes fell into slits.

"Sorry I just thought of how this was going to end." The figure then held Tenten's hair in hand. It had just occurred to Tenten but she didn't have enough time to braid her into her usual Chinese buns. "Nice hair. I wish mine was that long."

"What the heck is wrong with you? Get away from me!" Tenten slapped the girl's arm away and kicked the thief back. Rather than fall over the thief hopped back maintaining its one legged stance.

"Who knew the valley girl could fight?" The thief laughed cynically. She was right. Tenten only looked ditzy; on the inside she was a formidable hand-to-hand combatant.

"But it's not enough to beat me!"

Haze launched its leg forward and the coiled under Haze's leg and readied to strike but Haze had other plans. Haze pulled its leg down like a pendulum and the girl was forced to dash away.

When Tenten looked up and the thief had already launched itself into the air - a jump kick aimed straight for her head. Tenten cart wheeled to into the showers narrowly escaping the attack but that wouldn't prepare her for the next.

When Tenten regained her footing the thief materialized in front of her and kneed her roughly in the stomach following up with spin kick that sent her into the shower walls. Tenten pressed her hands against the floor but as hard as she tried she couldn't stand up. Her limbs were growing weaker as time passed and soon enough her eyes were losing focus.

_What's going on? _Only then did she feel the stinging pain at the back of her head. She had one final look at the thief who just laughed before her eyelids fell.

_Everything is going black…_

'Tenten!' Someone called out her name but she was too weak to answer.

_Oh? Is that my knight in shining armor come to save me again?_ The voice kept calling but she couldn't reply. _Neji, I'm ok this time so stop worrying ok?_ Summoning her last spurt of strength, she somehow managed to stay conscious. Her eyes blinked open and she was greeted not by her special knight but a very familiar buddy screaming at her.

"Tenten! Are you ok?" Rock Lee shouted his face covered in sweat and tears. _Had he been crying over me?_ Tenten found herself cuddled up in Rock Lee's arms - he carried her bridal style. _Why is he shouting like that…? Ugh, my head._

"…Rock Lee…what are you doing in the girl's locker room…you're not supposed to be here…"

"_Is that what you're worried about_!"

Tenten's eye lids grew heavier as the seconds passed. She wasn't even sure she could keep them open for a second more. Tenten flashed her eyes upwards, noticing that Rock Lee had rushed out of the girl's locker room and into the hallway.

Lee knew he knew he should have done something sooner. On his way down the hall, Rock Lee saw a dark figure not much taller than Kiba's rather large dog Akamaru walk past him entering into the girl's locker room. The figures clothing was eccentric to say the least – completely dressed in black latex. He had been searching for Tenten, but from what he gathered from the other girls was that she never left the girls locker room.

It wasn't until the figure rushed out of the locker room did Lee notice that Tenten wasn't coming out. It didn't take him long until he found her unconscious on the floor.

* * *

><p>"Cousin Neji, I'll be f-fine." Hinata sighed deeply. Reasoning with Neji once his mind was made up was near impossible.<p>

"I can't leave you alone with a homicidal thief running around." Neji adamantly stood by his decision.

"It's just my s-swimming class."

"Regardless, it's my duty as your guardian of the Hyuga family to keep you safe."

Hinata hung her head with an exasperated sigh. Whenever her safety was concerned, Neji would always pull out his 'guardian' card. Hinata was the heiress of the Hyuga family fortune. She understood her place being the eldest daughter of the current main head (her father). What she didn't understand was why she needed a guardian as overzealous about his duties like Neji was.

"I'm n-not the only one who is going to be t-there, ok? The swimming c-coach and the other s-students will be there as well. So you don't have to be so w-worried about me."

"…fine but don't hesitate to call me if you notice anyone suspicious." Neji courteously bowed and returned down the hall to his classroom.

Neji had always been watchful of Hinata but recently he noticed that Hinata had been opening up to more people. She had never had this many 'friends' (She called all of them her friends) before. She smiled much more than she did when she was younger and she had a certain brightened aura as of late. She seemed more independent (or at least tried to be).

Her stutter was caused from her natural shyness but it seemed to be a fading habit of hers as it was slowly disappearing with time. However, he noticed that her stutter seemed to worsen whenever she was near a certain boy. He noticed this on several occasions which lead him to believe something that scared him. He had feared for the state of her heart if she continued what she felt for the boy.

When Neji left, Hinata finally felt like she could have relaxed. She couldn't blame him for worrying but it wasn't like she couldn't have taken care of herself. Besides, she was going to be fine in class with plenty of other students around.

However, when she entered the room the image she had expected and the image she actually saw couldn't be any more different. The room was completely empty. No a soul was there. Even the teacher was absent.

The pool area seemed…dead. All the windows were closed letting what little light it could in to the room. Also, for one reason or the other, the auxiliary lights were on in the pool giving the entire room an eerie glow.

_Where is everyone?_

"Anybody there?" She called. No response.

Hinata couldn't help but think that she was reenacting a scene from a horror film. All the scene was missing was the creepy humming of some deranged killer.

As if fate was mocking her, a soft melody reached her ears which sounded strangely like someone's humming. _Oh come on…_

"Who are you and what do you want?" She asked but the humming continued.

The insistent humming came from all directions. Hinata's head whipped back and forth in an attempt to scann the area but no one could be seen. She was terrified to say the least but even so she had to remain brave so she marched forward expecting the unexpected.

Just when Hinata thought there would be no end, it suddenly stopped and so did Hinata. She made a complete 180 only now realizing that heading towards the humming was going to get her hurt. But in the moment that she did…

"Well aren't you pretty."

"Who are-" Before Hinata could finish her sentence the masked figure fired a kick aimed for her head.

"That's as far as you go." An angry growl came from behind Hinata.

Neji caught the assailant's foot with his hand. Feeling an enormous amount of killing intent from the boy, the attacker reeled his foot taking an immediate fighting form. Neji had a good look at the dark figure before him; a slender body wrapped from head to toe in a black latex suit (that hugged closely to its body) with a matching mask that hid its face well.

"Stand back Lady Hinata. _This one is mine_."

Neji wasted no time and rushed straight for the attacker unleashing a barrage of lightning quick strikes with the palm of his hand. Even the masked fighter was no match for the Hyuga style's Gentle Fist's speed and agility.

Haze tried to parry Neji's blow but his fist crashed into the opposite side of where Haze had expected. There was not much power behind the blow and Haze instinctively moved to counterattack. A straight kick to the face was what Haze had in mind, but somehow felt Haze's arm being pushed down before another jab caught Haze in the side of the face. Haze could not even recall the last time Haze had been hit twice so quickly. Haze hated it.

_How could I have let my guard down?_

Haze, enraged by Haze's opponent's quick blows charged with a flurry of kicks that the boy easily blocked. The boy took the initiative by slapping Haze's foot away as he buried his palm into 'Haze's stomach. As Haze rolled back, Haze pulled out a trusted weapon from the side pouch on the suit and threw it. Not at the boy, but the girl standing in the back.

Neji panicked. He couldn't stop the projectile the assailant had thrown. "Lady Hin-!"

Neji's voice died in his throat. He couldn't finish calling out his cousin's name. His mouth had forcibly been closed by the attacker when it kicked him squarely in the jaw. In an instant the attacker unleashed a brutal roundhouse kick that literally sent Neji spinning into the pool.

"Neji!"

Haze scanned the girl's appearance for a quick moment. She had been unharmed. Haze was sure that Haze had thrown a knife at the Hyuga Empress.

Had Haze missed? Impossible. Haze had never missed a shot in 5 years but rather than debate about the knife's whereabouts Haze charged straight for the woman. But soon enough, Haze began to regret that action.

In a time spam of 5 seconds Haze had been sent back. _Haze has been slapped before but this is ridiculou_s!

The Hyuga Empress had brought both her hands up in a circular motion knocking Haze's head upwards, but not before she immediately brought both her palms back down notching Haze's head downwards. The girl finally reeled her hands back and spun around using the momentum to increase the power of both her palms as she shot Haze back.

The girl immediately made a running sprint for Haze launching herself into the air and slamming the base of her right foot on Haze's shoulder. Immediately followed by left her other foot aimed at Haze's torso, then she spun and stepped on Haze's face with her right foot again before she kicked off shooting Haze backwards.

When Haze got up, the empress was already in the process of fishing her bodyguard out of the pool. If Haze planned to survive another day, retreating was the only option.

When Neji looked, the attacker had gone. Before he could go chasing after it, he had to make sure of one thing. "Lady Hinata, that last move was not Hyuga Style Gentle Fist. Where did you learn that?"

"O-oh," Hinata colored red as she pressed her index fingers together "T-that was a m-move f-from my favorite c-character on a v-video game I p-played. I-I saw it and t-thought I-it was k-kind of c-c-cool."

"I-I see…"

* * *

><p>Ino yawned lazily as she watched Shikamaru busy himself with student council work. It's not like she was bored; she really hoped that giving off the 'bored look' would make Shikamaru feel guilty enough leave early. She had been at this for at least an hour. It wasn't working. <em>Stupid paper work<em>, she thought. She offered to help but Shikamaru didn't want her to touch it.

She understood that all the other council members were busy but they didn't have to drop all the work on Shikamaru! She knew that he was too nice to even say no or ask others for help. He just gave his favorite catchphrase and began doing it all without a second guess. He would always complain about anything being troublesome but he'd do all the work regardless. That was the kind of guy he was.

"Come on Shikamaru, let's go home." Ino tugged on his arm. She didn't like it when he was like this.

"No Ino," He shrugged her hand off, "As much as I'd like to avoid all this, my work here is important and you know that."

"But you can't do all of this on your own. Why not wait until tomorrow when everyone is here?"

"No I can't do that. I'm going to receive a few reports that need revision and a stack load of inquires as well. Point is, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and I don't want this to get in the way." Shikamaru rubbed his shoulders roughly. "So go away. You bother me."

"Is that how you treat someone who is only trying to help?" Ino eyed him angrily.

"Look I'm sorry about the cold shoulder but I've got to get this done." Shikamaru sighed "Just go home already."

"But what about you? I can't just leave you like this." Ino whined.

"What a drag…" Shikamaru bounced his pen against his head repetitively.

Her 'rich princess' attitude was no front to any hidden, deep and cool psyche. She was a true princess inside and out. She was childish, immature, ill-tempered, materialistic and just plain annoying. She'd whine and complain if things didn't go the way she wanted it to and would be as bright as sunshine when it did. She had been like that ever since they were children. But despite all her negative traits, Ino had a good quality that no one could have found anywhere else - a good heart.

What could he have said to get Ino off his back this time?

"Look Ino, haven't your parents told you to stop hanging around me? I'm pretty sure your mom made sure of that at the last party you dragged me to."

At that time, Ino had forcefully black mailed (threatened to cry) Shikamaru into attending one of her parent's prestigious parties over a business deal. Ino's mother found him with her precious daughter and made a public display of Shikamaru's position on the social ladder. Shikamaru couldn't be bothered to remember what her mother said to him but it was similar to '_the difference in status and wealth is too great for you to be with my daughter_' or something like that.

Shikamaru didn't care either way. It wasn't like he was dating Ino or anything. He didn't even want to be there! After a courteous bow, Shikamaru made his way out…or that's what he wanted to do. After Ino's small fit, she stormed off pulling Shikamaru with her (as if she didn't do enough of that already) and had her own party in her room.

"Shikamaru we're childhood friends! I've known you practically all my life. And I've told you over all those years that I don't care what my mom or anyone else thinks! Besides my dad approves of you 100%!"

"Approves? What does he approve of exactly?" Shikamaru asked, not bothering to turn away from his paperwork.

Ino did a brilliant job of looking away as her face colored a crimson shade of red. "T-that's…um…whatever! My dad says its ok for us to hang out so there is no problem, ok?"

"Sorry Ino, I can't."

"…fine! Be that way! Not like I care or anything!" Ino quickly got up, stomping loudly on her way out of the room.

_Sorry Ino, you may not want to see it but your mother is right on all counts. We maybe close and our dad's may be great friends but there's just too much of a gap between us. _

"Kya!"

Ino's terror filled scream reached Shikamaru's ears and he found himself breaking into a sprint for the door. When he got there, Ino was unconscious in the arms of a person in a black late suit.

_"What did you do to her?"_ His voice was dark and cold.

The attacker didn't respond but Shikamaru could have felt a smug grin on its face. His mind blanked out for a moment, but then remembering his place, he cleared his mind and regained his cool.

"I don't think you're very smart whoever you are." The thief tilted its head. "Did you really think you could attack a student within the school with the disciplinary committee still around?"

Just then, the figure tossed Ino aside, ducked and rolled to the side of the wall. If it were only a second slower Kiba would have instantly knocked it out with his wild swing aimed for the thief's head. Shikamaru gave a sigh of relief when Choji literally slid on the floor catching Ino before she hit the floor.

"…a trap…" The attacker muttered as it slowly stood up.

"Yeah, we've been waiting for you." Kiba growled angrily.

Haze rushed for the fat tub of lard but a tall figure suddenly appeared in Haze's peripheral vision. A tall boy in a rather large cloaked-jacket with a dark pair of shades literally appeared out of nowhere. Haze had seen a lot of things but Haze had never thought to see a real ninja in this day and age.

Haze's senses flashed danger and before Haze could even register, Haze had already dashed back where someone had been lying in wait. The rowdy looking boy whipped his hand through the air with power and speed of a clever in the hands of a butcher.

Haze narrowly dodged the boy's clever of a hand quickly placing enough distance between them before Haze turned and ran.

_Too many of them to handle at once. I will have to strike at a more appropriate time. Moving onto next target._

"Kiba!" Shikamaru shouted.

"On it." Kiba was hot on the thief's tail. Kiba was by far the best tracker the school had ever seen in years. If anyone could have found the thief it would be him, especially since he got a piece of the thief's clothing when he attacked it. It wasn't going to get away.

"Shikamaru…" Ino's cry drained all the anger and frustration from his body and soon enough he found himself hugging her.

"I swear you enjoy causing trouble for me don't you…?" Shikamaru's expression softened when Ino smiled faintly at him.

"It's the only way I can get you to notice me."

"You're a pain, you know that?"

* * *

><p>Sasuke quietly tapped away at his laptop during one of his trips to his secret hideout. It was more or less his old family house rather an hideout. He appreciated the peace and quiet that only the family house could provide. Once he found that he still received internet access here, he unconsciously kept returning whenever he went out.<p>

But even with the internet access, surfing the net was nothing like it used to be. It left him horribly bored. Recently everything seemed uninteresting and dull. The news always showed the same mundane stories and the entertainment value of modern media seemed to be in a decline. The only article that caught the young detective's eyes was 'Mysterious Disappearances of Young Entrepreneurs Baffles Police Force'.

As Sasuke skimmed through the article he could have felt the slick black device in his pant pocket vibrating. His cellphone flashed 'unknown number' which made Sasuke extremely cautious about answering it.

"Is this Sasuke Uchiha?" A voice screamed from the other end.

"How did you get this number?" Sasuke replied as coldly as he could.

"Naruto."

_Figures_. Sasuke would have to burn this cellphone afterwards. "What do you want Nara?"

"It's about the thief."

In that moment, Sasuke immediately felt like he was being watched. With a quick glance out an old window, he noticed an average height figure dressed in a black latex suit waiting out on the front porch. With a wry grin, Sasuke closed his phone not bothering to listen to Shikamaru's explanation any further as he began his slow descent down the flight of stairs. Sasuke combed his hand through his hair, his dark piercing eyes glaring intensely at the human.

"_It was about time you showed up_. _You've kept me waiting."_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Haze did not attack members of group randomly. There was indeed a reason he attacked who he did. A free cookie and momentary fame to all of those who can identify the pattern!_

_A/N: Btw Hinata's move was Ling Xiayou's from Tekken 5.  
><em>


	16. Interogation

_A/N: Slight language in this chapter. Very slight. Just a heads up. _

* * *

><p><em>0~0~0<br>_

_Interrogation_

_0~0~0  
><em>

* * *

><p>With a wry grin, the dark-haired boy, Sasuke Uchiha, began his slow descent down the lengthy flight of stairs. He combed his hand through his hair, his dark piercing eyes glaring intensely at the Haze.<p>

"It was about time you showed up. You've kept me waiting."

Haze did not respond. Haze's eyebrows were raised as Haze watched cautiously as the boy inched towards Haze's position. Haze was warned about this boy by Haze's client; an amazingly skilled individual with an intellect that could have only been rivaled by few. Had this 'Uchiha' already seen through Haze's plan?

"If you're wondering if I saw through your plan I'll have you know that I already did."

_Tch._

"But the true question is, _why_?" At least he hadn't figured that. "It's unfitting to not know the identity of my opponent. Rather, if I were killed I'd rather know the identity of the one who did it."

"Haze." Haze replied non-chalet.

"Haze…or should I say Jun Takahane; age currently unknown, nationality Japanese. You're wanted in several countries for theft, embezzlement, damage to property, and _murder_." Sasuke spoke fluently and calmly as if reading from the actual police report.

"You've done your homework," Haze wasn't surprised in the least. Uchiha's were quite well known for their analytical abilities and knowledge of the criminal world.

"Knowledge of the underworld is child's play." Sasuke scoffed, "You don't need to hide your face under that horrid excuse for a mask."

Haze (or Jun) raised a hand over the mask and roughly pulled it off allowing the short tangled crimson hair to fall out. A woman, no older than 21, flashed a wry grin at the young Uchiha who returned with an unfriendly scowl. Her bright hazel eyes peeked out instantly gaining the boy's attention.

"So what now, ducky?" She chuckled.

"Shut up," The boy grinded his teeth together. 'Duck' wasn't one of his favorite words for so many reasons. "Anyway, to answer your question with another, why don't you ask them?"

Jun scanned the room noticing that she had been surrounded by the group of teenagers that she had attacked earlier (and one bushy browed freak and a weird kid with shades who stared at her immensely). The pink haired girl hid at the top flight of the stairs. Jun simply assumed that the Uchiha thought that she was the main target. They blocked all the possible exits she could have used to escape. But it didn't matter. The only threats in the room were the lavender eyed cousins. They were the only ones who had abilities that she didn't anticipate.

Just then, the front door opened and the boy who had been hot on her heels entered with a few others.

"Thought you could have gotten away from me, huh?" Kiba grinned, but then his eyes fell onto everyone else "Wait, what are you guys doing here?"

"This was planned you fool," Shikamaru entered with Ino and Choji close behind. "I told you about it this morning."

"Oh, so that's what you were yapping about."

"_You_…"

"Whoa she's a chick," Kiba obliviously pointed out, "Pretty hot too."

"Kiba. Read. The. Mood." Neji spoke through his teeth.

"Oops."

"Are you just about done with your comedy performance?" Sasuke groaned.

"If you all want a piece of me, that's fine," Jun grinned from ear to ear "But I want a _taste_ of the Uchiha first."

"Sorry but I'm not into old hags." Sasuke smirked.

"Cheeky aren't we? I like that in a man."

Jun rushed Sasuke and began a furious barrage of lightning quick leg strikes that even the Uchiha had difficulty dodging. His evasive movements were slowly and predictable. Feeling immensely superior to the boy, Jun decided to toy with the boy for the while being but just then her leg was caught in the hands of a large boy who practically appeared out of nowhere.

"You…" Jun immediately broke her foot away from the boy's grip fearing that he may have broken it. It seemed like the _gorilla_ had returned. He shot her an undesirable glare that unnerved her to the core.

"I'm more of the behind the scenes strategist." Sasuke said, "I leave the fighting to my friend here."

"Go on Naruto," Sasuke commanded. The blonde smirked.

Jun found herself in a strange predicament. She was in mid-air. The blonde had just kicked her off the stair way.

Jun cradled her legs and spun backwards until she was upright when she landed on the wooden floor safe and sound. That was until the boy launched a roundhouse kick aimed for her face. She countered by grabbing his leg, getting down and sweeping the other but the boy had other plans.

He raised his grounded leg and made a sweep for Jun's head. She immediately let go of his leg and rested her body flat against the ground. She was close enough to his foot to actually kiss it. Naruto landed roughly, with his hand on the ground to maintain his balance.

Jun stylishly went into her combat form with her body laying low to the ground and her arms sticking out.

"The phoenix?" Naruto muttered.

Jun's pose was a well known Martial arts form that Naruto would have loved to explain but when she attempted rushed for him, his thoughts stopped all together. Naruto kept his body low as he swept the floor with his leg forcing Jun to jump upwards and that's what he wanted.

That was when Jun noticed that both his legs stopped where her legs where. Naruto thrust both his legs upwards knocking into Jun's chest shooting her back onto the floor. Jun coughed roughly from the impact. She laid there and watched Naruto walk up to her, his impassive expression never once changing throughout the entire fight. Jun could just feel that he was looking down on her.

"Don't you _dar_e at me like that!" Jun sneered. She got to her feet and gave a wicked laugh before she hung her left leg in midair.

_Interesting, _Naruto thought as he recognized the girl's fighting stance. She was a Taekwondo practitioner; a good one at that. The girl looked no older than he was, yet she gave off a 'Master' aura.

The girl charged for Naruto, swinging her right foot at Naruto's head. He quickly retaliated by blocking with his left arm, and launched a slow but unmistakably powerful fist into the girl's gut, followed up by a quick roundhouse kick to her face.

_What…? Am I losing…?_

The boy didn't stop his advance. He rushed on Jun (who was still recovering from the kick) whipping his right leg aimed at Jun's face again. Jun crouched on the ground quickly bending backwards, allowing the kick to fly directly over her face. While the boy quickly spun to face Jun once more, Jun knew this was her chance.

Naruto flew into action; before the girl could respond. He lodged his foot deep into the girl's stomach followed up by a quick kick to her face but she raised her leg and easily parried Naruto's second kick. She immediately retracted her leg afterwards.

Much to Jun's astonishment the boy grabbed her foot and returned the favor by kneeing her in the stomach. He then followed up by ramming his elbow into Jun's chin then backhanding her. His hand smashed it into her face causing Jun to grind against the wooden floor until she could get up.

"Who the hell are you?" She screamed.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The blonde scoffed "Do you finally see it?"

"See _what_?"

"The difference between you and me."

Jun angrily punched the floor before she regained her one legged stance. She went on the offensive. She fired blow after blow at the boy who she had not damaged once.

One little opening, one slip was all Jun was going to need to land a fatal blow but the boy never let his guard down. It wasn't until Jun's fatigue finally began showing that she herself felt like she was slipping. The boy's eye's narrowed and pushed one kick passed Jun's defense and that was it. The kick crashed into her ribs and Jun knew she was done for. Her legs gave out unable to support her body anymore.

"Is that all you got?"

"I'll make you pay for that little comment." She attempted to get up, but she immediately fell down. Her legs weren't responding. What had that boy done to her?

"What the hell is this?"

"You're going to answer some questions for us," Sasuke interrupted before the fight went too far. "Depending on your answers, we might decide on what to do with you."

"I can easily get out of this," Jun struggled to stand up but fell back. _Tch…_

"What if I don't plan on answering?" She smirked but her smile quickly faded when she found herself off the ground. She was lifted into the air by a demon holding onto the back of her shirt.

"I can tell just by looking at you. You've been targeting my friends all day. A few of them landed a few good blows on you, as did I. The pain and fatigue must be a heavy burden on your body." Naruto's gaze was similar to a cold blaze; anger and rage hidden behind cold eyes.

"So _breaking_ you wouldn't be difficult in the least. Just tell us what we want to know and you might live another day."

Sakura felt a gut-wrenching chill crawl up her spine. Sakura turned to face Naruto in pure stupor; he had never said anything so threatening before. Naruto showed absolute no hint of emotion in his expression and voice. It frightened her to her core. _Was he that angry? _

Sakura' hadn't noticed when Naruto's eyes turn to slits for a moment. Jun shuddered as she felt her own death reflected in his eyes. She quietly turned her head in the other direction trying to avoid his deadly gaze.

"Whatever. I'll tell you what you want." She murmured feeling the demon within the boy reside.

"Good." Naruto replied slowly letting her down.

For once in her life, Jun didn't have a snide remark. She always had the upper hand before but this was ridiculous. She had brought men down twice the monster's size so why did she lose so badly? How could it be possible that she lost to a puberty induced freak?

Had she ever been so humiliated before? She couldn't think of one time. She forcefully swallowed her pride swearing that one day she would have her revenge.

"Now," Naruto paused "Who sent you after me?"

"Don't think yourself so big, freak. I wasn't sent to kill you, any of you." She placed her hand under her chin and looked away, looking bored as she spoke "I'm an observer. A scout if you will. I was sent to collect information on you and your little friends."

"Information? What information? For who? And why target my friends at all?"

"Well genius, I guess information on your abilities - intelligence, combat ability, threat level." She answered with a huff.

"Then why target my friends?"

"I don't know why and I don't care. I just do what I'm told."

"Then answer this, just _who_ sent you?" Sasuke regained control of the interrogation.

"I don't know."

"What the _hell_ is that? If you're lying to us-" Naruto shouted.

"You wanted to know so shut your dirty mouth and listen to the words coming out of mine!" Even if she was afraid of him she wasn't afraid of backing down "I have never seen his face. He calls me when he wants my services but even then he masks his voice."

"I can tell you this though. The man is more of a demon than I am. He is infinitely darker and crueler than I could have ever _wished_ to be. I kind of have to admire him for that. Anyway, he ordered me to evaluate if you and friends were a potential threat to his plan."

"What plan?" Sasuke immediately jumped at the word. Jun began a low sarcastic chuckle.

"You think he'd let a useless pawn like me know his plan? He never tells me anything, just specific orders - nothing more, nothing less." The color in her pale face drained (Ghostly white) "But whatever it is. It can't be good"

"Why's that?" Naruto asked.

"Because," She paused pressing her hands down on her legs massaging them gently "In the years I've been under his wing, countless people have lost their lives through his so-called 'plans'. I've seen them; I was caught up in one myself. He is the bastard who did this to me."

Naruto and everyone around him tensed up when Jun reached for her back. Jun noticed their expressions and grinned. "I'm not going to pull out any weapons. If I did that I wouldn't live for another 5 seconds."

_She just admitted to carrying weapons._

(Anyway) She reached to the back of her suit, grabbing the tiny metallic zipper and pulled it down. Much to Shikamaru's disapproval, Ino instinctively covered his eyes while similarly Tenten wrapped her fingers around Neji's eyes. The dog lover held his hands behind his head as he turned away while Rock Lee focused on a window. Choji busied himself with his chips and no one could tell if Shino had stared or not.

Of those who actually kept their gaze on her back, Jun revealed a thick, disfiguring scar that dragged down from below tip of her spine to her tail bone. She smirked, "Gruesome isn't it?"

No one commented.

"Well isn't that a good thing? I mean, if this guy is as bad as you say wouldn't he be working with thugs and murders? Who would miss them?" Ino broke the silence. Her input had just earned her a dark cold glare from Jun that froze her on the spot.

"I never thought I'd hear that from the demon boy's prissy friend." Her facial feature's grew dark as she grew manic "Your _friend_ here a _fucking walking_ _example of_ '_not all delinquents and thugs are bad'_. Is it so hard to believe that some of us just want to live normal lives?"

"I had friends – people even I called comrades. Even if they were '_demons_' they had souls. Even if they were damned they felt joy, they cried, they got angry! But you know what happened to them? That sick _fuck_ used them all and they got _killed_!

"I was one of the few who survived! And look what happened to me. I became his second rate _lackey and pet _for his own god damn amusement!"

After her outburst the room was silent once more. Shikamaru looked to Ino who was completely mortified. No one else was much different except for Sasuke who kept his perpetual poker face and strangely Naruto who kept his face impassive.

"Sorry…"

"I didn't ask for an apology." Jun retorted as her features returned to normal (what was normal for her anyway).

"But aren't you a mercenary or assassin…or whatever you are? If you don't like your boss why not just take care of him yourself?" Kiba spoke out which earned him an 'inappropriate question' glare from Neji.

"Haven't you been listening? He is a monster, even more so than your friend here." She roughly rubbed her legs as she began to regain the feeling in them.

"You didn't think that we didn't try to kill him ourselves? That man is on a level that I can't even dream of. One night, a small army of thugs started a riot at his last known headquarters. The man came out like he was taking a god damn walk and in under 10 minutes he wiped out everyone without lifting a _finger_."

Jun reveled in the moment. She grinned as she looked upon the pure shock on everyone's faces. She broke even the Uchiha's and the monster's poker faces.

"I don't know what he did or how he did it but guys who hated him, guys who were best friends started to kill _each other_. They just randomly turned on each other while he sat back laughing. It was sickening."

"Anything else you would like to share?" Naruto added, as if totally ignoring the severity of her voice.

"No, not really." She replied non-chalet "Now are you letting me go?"

"Not at all," Sasuke smirked – something he rarely does – as he knelt beside her "Not until you agree to help us."

…

…

…

Seconds turned to minutes as all eyes (except Naruto's) turned to Sasuke's all dumbstruck to the point of silence.

"WHAT?" Everyone erupted.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you thinking? She tried to _kill_ us!" Sakura shouted.

"Did you try to kill us?"

"No. I got bored of watching you all so I decided to have a little fun with my work."

"And there you have it."

"I agree with Sakura on this one. What the hell is going through your mind, Uchiha?" Shikamaru knew how useful she could be to an investigation but to actually go through with a plan that could easily backfire was suicide.

"Boy, are you insane?" Jun raised an eyebrow "Why would you even _think_ I would care about you let alone help you?"

"You want to kill your client don't you? I can't say that I believe your story completely but I believe your skill and position would be of use to me. So if you want to prove what you just said helping us would bring you closer to your goal, correct?"

"I believe that we have the same enemy. He is a man who I have been trying to take down for years and here you are. The final key I need to initiate my plan to capture him."

"Why should I give a damn?"

"Also, my brother is the chief inspector of the Konoha Police Department. I have enough witnesses and evidence to put you away for a long time if you don't co-operate."

"I could use little R&R in prison. It's actually doing me a favor since I won't have to take orders from that psycho." She grinned trailing her finger along Sasuke's chest.

Suddenly, the king of all devilish smiles crept on his face. She cringed for a moment.

"Getting you to join us is merely a formality, you know."

"What?"

"We're going to use _that _again aren't we?" Naruto asked, shaking his head from side to side.

"Indeed."

"What are you two fools going on about?"

Suddenly, both Naruto and Sasuke grabbed Jun's wrist forcefully dragging her feeble body along the wooden floor.

"We'll be borrowing her for a while." Sasuke's poker face returned as quickly as it left "Oh, if you happen to hear any noises, don't hesitate to do absolutely nothing about it."

"Hey! Let me go you bastards!" She struggled in vain being dragged into the next room. The door clicked, announcing that it had been locked it. The gang just stood there, a cold sweat forming on of their faces. The room was silent, and suddenly they could her Jun screaming.

"You can't be serious…huh? Hey…cut it out…ahh…stop…stop it…no…wait-no! Ahhhhh!" Jun high pitched screams reached the heavens above while it left the earthbound teenagers outside in pure stupor. A few minutes later, Naruto and Sasuke exited the room with slight smiles while Jun on the other hand looked like a truck ran her over, back up and did it again.

Sakura was scared to ask Naruto what he did but forcing her words to come she managed "Umm Naruto…what did you…?"

"Some things are better left unsaid," He rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to Jun "Right?"

"R-right!" she quickly replied, shivering slightly.

"Well she agreed to help us out, so that's out of the way." Sasuke combed his hand through his hair as he released Jun, who remained on the floor, grabbing her knees and rocking back and forth. Jun was now mumbling something to herself. '_This is all a sick dream'_ she repeated over and over.

Sakura and the others were now sweating bullets looking at each other. _What the hell did they just do to her? (_Makes you wonder doesn't it?)

"Sakura your boyfriend just became a potential rapist…" Ino nervously chuckled.

"Don't…don't joke about that..."

"Now that all of this is taken care of I ask that the rest of you leave." Sasuke said coldly. "_Now._"

"What?"

"Look guys," Naruto bit his lower lip as he contemplated what he was going to say in his head. "I'm so sorry that I got all of you involved in all of this!" He bowed, rather quickly.

"I know that Sasuke won't put this in the nicest way ever, but we don't want you to get any more involved than you already are. You've already been hurt once and that's one too many times. You guys are my friends. I don't want anything to happen to you-"

Just then, Naruto felt warm tender hands gently caress the crown of his head. Naruto knew those hands. "It's ok, Naruto. We understand." Sakura smiled bitterly.

"Just make sure you get that guy, ok?" Kiba grinned.

"If he isn't behind bars soon I'll have to question your abilities as an Uchiha." Neji stated, knowing full well that the Uchiha's were a strong family of upholders of the law.

"Tch, whatever." Sasuke scoffed.

"Here," Choji walked up to Naruto placed a packet of chips in Naruto's hands "It's my favorite flavor. Hope it helps."

"How are chips supposed to help you idiot?" Shikamaru sighed.

"Who knows, I might get hungry along the way." Naruto grinned cheerily for what felt like the first time in years.

"Well, good luck Mr. Delinquent." Shikamaru saluted shortly before he began to walk off. "Also, don't forget that you have school tomorrow."

"You had better not get any more injuries before you give Sakura a heart attack again." Ino smiled before she chased after Shikamaru with Choji close behind. Shino made a notch of his head towards Naruto before he vanished with the wind.

_Totally have to get him to teach me how to do that…_

"And Naruto, we're your friends. We'll always be here to help if you need it." Tenten smiled.

"I can't ask you guys to do that this time around."

"Who says you have a choice in the matter?" She whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Tenten giggle before she pranced off, leaving Neji to sigh before he followed.

"Enough with the goodbyes just leave already." Sasuke rubbed his temples.

She knew she needed to move and continue her way home, which was at the end of the corridor and only a few steps away, but her limbs felt heavy and she still stood there, eyes wide, staring up at him.

"I'll be home soon, ok?"

His voice forced her into action, and she moved, not away but straight intohim. She stood only a breath distance from him, and he stared at her; wanting to embrace her, to tell her that everything would be alright, wanting anything but for her to leave.

"Yeah," She agreed, not knowing what else she could possibly say. She cupped his cheeks between her hands, slowly rose on her toes and pressed her lips softly against his. It was quick, but the meaning behind it would last forever.

"Be careful."

"Come on, it's me we're talking about here."

"That's why I'm worried."

"Will you be ok getting home?" Naruto asked.

"Don't you worry Naruto-kun! I, Rock Lee, will escort the beautiful Sakura-san to her building of residence! If I shall fail I will do 5 laps around the city!" Lee saluted, his eyes burning with 'youth'.

"Just don't hit on her along the way," Naruto chuckled "But really thanks Lee."

"It is the least I could do!"

Naruto watched as Sakura slowly separated her hands from his face and painfully broke away from him. She made her way towards the door, her figure ever growing smaller from his sight. It wasn't until she completely disappeared, had Naruto felt a slow encroaching guilt that threw him on edge.

"You're going to be in a world of hurt, Bub."

Naruto's attention whipped to the woman, who seemingly didn't admonish him for his relationship but instead felt sympathy towards him. As if sensing Naruto's thoughts, Jun made an expression that only cemented the dark thoughts that began to plague the fighter's state of mind.

"Now, down to what I had in mind." Sasuke's cool voice brought him back to the harsh reality called life.

* * *

><p>Sakura huddled in the in the apartment she shared with Naruto and waited for him to come home. She had been waiting for him to come home for hours. Her head notched to the clock which read 12:45 am.<p>

Sure Naruto was busy, trying to do what he could to capture a potential mass murderer so everyone else could afford to sleep at night. Nothing to worry about, right?

Lately Naruto had been spending more time away from her. Even when he was _there, _his mind was somewhere else.

Sometimes she even wondered if he really noticed how worried she was. She wondered if he noticed a lot of things. He wasn't stupid; if he was, he would have died a long time ago. But he was oblivious about some things. He was oblivious about her. At least…it seemed like he was. Maybe he was deliberately avoiding her. Maybe he was trying to put distance between them.

After what happened on the stairwell she couldn't blame him. But Sakura felt it was more than that. Had he been feeling guilty about dragging her and his friends into a separate part of his life? That could be it but why did she feel like that wasn't all?

Sakura tugged her thin blanket more firmly around her shoulders, her eyes roving over to the flickering television screen. She didn't know what show was on. She couldn't focus on anything in the physical world for long so she found herself staring into space constantly.

_Why am I even thinking about this? He'll be fine. He always is. He will come right through that door with the biggest grin on his face asking for bowl of ramen and wondering about the worried look on my face._

She looked to the digital clock again which blinked 1:30 a.m.

_I'm supposed to be pissed at him, aren't I? I mean I am but- Gah! I've had enough of this! Someone just stop this insistent feeling! _

This city had once been wide open; a place of happiness and exploration but Sakura was recently opened to darker side which was a trap of men intent on greed and pain. Having already lost so much, it was easy to fear losing what anyone had left. Naruto was all she had left. Naruto and her guardians…but she had never felt so distant from them before.

She didn't know how late it was when the door finally creaked open. Naruto slid into the room, a satchel held in one hand.

Sakura met his gaze for a long moment, and then his eyes slid away from hers. He didn't speak as he stepped into his room, and set his satchel on his bed.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a sigh. At least he had come back. This night, he had not been caught by police, had not been thrown into prison, had not found trouble he couldn't handle.

She kept her eyes fixed on him even though he wasn't looking at her, wanting to grab him, wanting to shake him, wanting to do something, anything, so that he would really notice her. Really see how much she had needed him. Really see how much she missed him, even though he was right in front of her.

"I'm sorry I'm late." He spoke as he rested his heavy body next to her. She laid down, the top of her head almost touching the top of his. He watched her for a moment, not asking what was wrong, because he already knew the answer.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting?" She asked calmly. Naruto looked deeply into her emerald eyes; they reflected the sad loneliness she had been feeling with a hint of frustration. They cried out for comfort.

"I know but-"

"But nothing." Naruto felt a stinging soreness in his arm where Sakura just punched, "You said you'd be home soon. It's been hours, Naruto."

"I'm sorry…"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Sakura complained, still not moving her face away from his.

"I know but some things came up."

"What _things_?"

"I…you know I can't tell you."

Sakura lodged her fist into his arm again. As a result of her drowsiness, her voice remained low "First you worry me to death now you won't even talk to me about it. Tell me Naruto, just how am I supposed to feel about this?"

"Sakura…"

Sakura was torn between the desire to hug him and the desire to smack him upside the head. She settled with saying, "Tell me Naruto, because I don't know either…"

Naruto wrapped his arm right arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She didn't resist him; she wanted to feel his weight on her. It made the scene seem _real_. Without it, she'd think that this were only a dream of a sleep deprived girl still waiting on her lover to enter through the door.

"I've been so worried about you."

"I know."

"I thought that something happened to you…"

"I know."

"Don't worry me like this…"

Without anymore words needing to be said the two sat in the empty silence. It had occurred to Naruto that Sakura's voice seemed to wane. It was then that he noticed that Sakura's eyes had closed. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He tried. He tried hard. He struggled to hold back his laughter. She was like a little kid who had never stayed up pasted her bed time before.

"Let's go to your bed, ok?" Naruto lightly slapped her cheeks and Sakura instantly raised her head in a daze. She followed Naruto obediently when he brought her to her room and laid her on the bed. Before he could leave the room he felt a slight tug on his shirt.

"Naruto…don't leave."

"Alright, I won't." He plopped himself on the bed next to her and Sakura hugged him tightly burring her head into his lap. Naruto knew she'd fall asleep in a matter of minutes so all he had to do now was wait. But a thought which had crossed his mind many times before reared its ugly head once more.

Without much conscious thought his mouth opened, "Hey Sakura."

"Hm?"

"Why don't you try talking to your guardians?"

"Oh…"

"I know it must be hard for you but they _are_ your parents. It'd be bad if you ended your relationship with them like that." Naruto added.

"But after all that I said to them I don't think they'd want anything to do with me."

Sakura said some harsh things to the people who had taken care of her all through her years in the city but her anger at the time was well justified. They robbed her of a large part of her life; the life she had before she came to Konoha. She understood their motives but that wasn't a good enough of a reason to do what they did.

"I wouldn't say that." Naruto combed his hand through her soft hair, "I know they care about you."

"I know they do but…" Sakura couldn't face them. She wasn't sure it was guilt over what she said to them or the anger she held against them but she was sure she didn't want to see them.

"I'm sure that they're worrying about you like you've been worried about me all night."

Sakura's orbs widened greatly as the realization hit her. "…alright, Naruto. I'll go see them but on one condition."

"Anything."

"You come along with me. I need the support." Sakura yawned, feeling her eyelids growing heavier.

"Of course."

Naruto knew of what they did to her. It crushed him. He didn't agree with it. He even hated them for it. But they did it for her sake which is why he took no actions to remedy the situation until just recently.

"And Naruto?"

Before he answered, he looked into her eyes, "Yeah?"

"Don't ever leave me alone…"

He looked at her for a moment; her tired eyes sparkled before they closed indefinitely. Naruto felt his lips curve into a smile. That was answer enough even before he whispered back, "I'm not going anywhere."

Naruto waited until he was sure that she had fallen asleep before quietly got out of the bed. Unfortunately for him, someone else wouldn't allow it. Naruto felt a slight tug on his shirt and noticed that Sakura had a firm grip on it. Either awake or asleep, she unconsciously wanted to be by his side.

He closed his eyes, smiling faintly before he joined her.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Shino is badass ninja. Nuff said. Also, I know you're all curious about what Naruto and Sasuke did to Jun but I'll leave that to your imaginations. P.S I'll never tell._


	17. Haruno

_A/N: This is by far my shortest chapter yet. I can't really get my mind to process so well anymore since_ I haven't been feeling too well with this cold/flu (whichever) I caught recently. _So early apologizes for the length and errors that may be present. _

* * *

><p><em>0~0~0<br>_

_Haruno  
><em>

_0~0~0_

* * *

><p><em>My life is over.<em>

_No. My life is hanging by a thread off the edge of a mountain and is probably three seconds away from falling into the dank, dark abyss never to be seen again._

_I'm going to be massacred. I'm going to be a corpse by the end of today. I just know it._

"Hey, you okay Sakura?" Her boyfriend asked, noticing the grim expression on her face. _As if he didn't know!_

"Look, I'm just not too keen on the idea of meeting my guardians. I mean…they must _hate_ me!"

"They don't hate you. They're probably missing you and you know it."

"Maybe but I ran away from home," She groaned. "They must be awfully mad at me."

"There's only one way to find out."

She rolled her emerald green eyes and turned her head towards him.

After the last discussion Sakura had with her guardians they were probably the last people on earth who would want to see her. And right now, the two of them were on their way to her house or as Sakura would like to call it - her death.

"Look," he said comfortingly, holding her hand in support.

"We've been over this, okay? You're going to be _fine_."

"Yeah. Says you," She argued desperately. "You're not the one that has to apologize to them for telling them off and running to her boyfriend's apartment."

"Oh, come on. You're being ridiculous." Naruto paused for a moment realizing what she said "Wait, what's wrong with running to my apartment?"

"Why don't you explain two teenagers living all alone in an apartment with no adult supervision?"

"Oh."

Naruto paused but quickly opened his mouth. "Wait…shouldn't I be the scared one? I mean, I _am_ going to meet your family. What if they get the wrong idea and think I did something wrong to you?"

"Oh man…I did." Naruto whined violently ruffling his hair.

"When?"

"The stairway."

"How many times have I told you that it was just as much my fault as it was yours?" she said sternly. Naruto didn't respond as he kept scratching his head.

Sakura rubbed the bridge of her nose. She didn't want Naruto to become as anxious as she was. She just wanted him to see things her way. She sighed and brought his hand to her face and then gently placed her hands on his face.

_Ah, his hands are so warm._

"Listen. Don't let it get to you, okay? I agree. My parents can be really strict and unemotional at times. But you're an amazing guy. Everyone loves you. Well, everyone close to us. I know they're going to love you too."

"Look, whatever happens, in the end their opinion of you doesn't matter to me. I still love you. Alright?"

He sighed and let his head drop. "Fine," he grumbled.

Sakura smiled brightly and showed all of her perfect, white teeth and kissed him. "Thank you."

It hadn't occurred to Sakura yet, but when it did, it hit her like a brick wall. She blinked repetitively when the thoughts collated in her mind. Why was she the one comforting Naruto about meeting her guardians? Wasn't _she_ was the one in the wrong? How did he turn the conversation around like that? She was the one freaking out not him!

It was then that something unusual caught her attention. Naruto had a strange glint in his eye and he wore an usual smile on his face. It took her but a moment to realize but it was no ordinary smile. It was a devil's grin.

"You tricked me!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he walked on ahead of her, almost as if running away.

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura gave chase to Naruto, who had long broken into a sprint down the street.

"Get back here Uzumaki!" Naruto just laughed. That was _so_ like him.

Naruto was so lucky that she loved him. Otherwise she would've been out of here in two seconds flat.

_This was a bad idea. This was _such_ a bad idea._

* * *

><p><em>Sakura couldn't sleep. <em>

_She felt cheated, guilty, violated, angry, confused, remorseful and anxious. A sense of loneliness grew in her heart the moment Naruto told her the truth. At first she couldn't believe him, but why would Naruto ever lie to her about something so grand? But when he provided her with a handful of pictures with the two of them as children, how could she not believe it? It didn't make any sense._

_She rolled around in her bed before she decided to get up. She wandered downstairs hoping that mindlessly watching the television would put her to sleep or at least put her mind at ease. But unfortunately, her 'father' Jin and 'mother' Ami were already occupying the living room. _

_Ami's face crept into a smile as she greeted her daughter. "Hey there, sleeping beauty.__ Can't sleep?" _

"_No, but its ok. I'll just roll around until I fall asleep." She responded vaguely. _

"_Alright, what's wrong? You're only restless when you have something on your mind." Jin finally finished reading his paper and put it down before he took a sip of his coffee. _

"_Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."_

"_Sakura, we're your parents," He paused. Sakura grew angrier with those words. "We would know if something was wrong with you."_

"_You guys wouldn't understand." Sakura answered flatly. "It's not something that's easy to talk about. I'll be in my room if you need me." _

_Sakura made her way back to her room. Both her parents look at each other questionably before they returned to their daughter. "Sakura you can talk to us."_

"…_just what am I to you guys?" Sakura asked out of the blue._

"_Huh? What are you talking about honey?" Ami answered._

"…_who am I?"_

"_You're our daughter, Sakura Haruno. Why are you asking this?" Jin answered sternly._

"_Is that so?" Sakura glared coldly at her 'parents'._

"_What?" _

"_Does the village of Hijoshi mean anything to you two?" _

_The color from their faces drained as they looked at each other. "Sakura…"_

"_I hear it's a quiet, lovely and beautiful town around the spring time. Especially when the Sakura trees are in full bloom. It might not be as well off as Konoha but it did well for a small village. It even had a low mortality rate because it had one of the best hospitals in the world. They took care of their patients like they were family."_

"_It was too bad that the owners died a few years ago. I heard that because of it the __**Haruno General Hospital**__ was never the same again." _

_Her parents said nothing. No. Her _guardians_ said nothing. Sakura unconsciously stopped looking at her ever loving 'mother' and her strict but caring father as her parents. They seemed more and more like faceless strangers as time passed. She felt like the bond that once made them family had been cut clean. She lost all connection with them._

"_I also heard that they had a daughter. Where is she I wonder…?" Sakura stared directly into their eyes trying to read whatever they thought behind their frigid expressions. Her 'mother' seemed frightful while her 'father' remained entirely composed. _

"_Sakura…honey…" Her mother tried to speak up._

"_Who are you…?" Sakura blurted without any remorse or concern for their feelings._

"_We're you're parents…"_

"_Stop lying…I want the truth!" _

_With no response from the two, Sakura decided to continue "All this time, you two were lying to me...I mean I would have never guessed…something like this is..." Sakura rubbed her temples slightly, feeling as if an immense weight were crashing down onto her.  
><em>

"_You want to know the strangest thing about this? __**I don't remember anything!"**__ Sakura by now had shut off all but one of her emotions – anger._

"_It's not a childhood memory that would fade away as time went by. No one would forget something so tragic, so painful. No one would forget their parents. No one would forget the important friends they made. No one would forget their entire childhood."_

"_What on earth did you do to me?" Sakura demanded rather than asked._

"_We only did it to protect you. You were only a little girl Sakura! You couldn't handle the loss of your parents. You became a soulless doll when we got to Konoha. You didn't eat, you cried everyday and you wouldn't listen to us." Jin spoke as calmly as he could. _

"_We had no choice. We just wanted to rid you of the pain you held in your heart."_

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Me_?" _

"_We erased your memories." _

"…_how?"_

"_Hypnosis."_

_At first, Sakura didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to feel. She steeled her will and gritted her teeth forcing her emotions back. She wasn't about to give into her own sadness. Sakura turned her sorrow into anger. A reliable trick she learned so that she would never seem weak and incompetent. _

"_How…dare you rob me of my childhood…"_

_How could they? She trusted them. Why would they take so much away from her even if it was to protect her? _Her shoulders were now trembling. She wrapped her arms around herself to stop the shivering but it only seemed to make it worse. _  
><em>

"_I was only a little girl! Of course I'd be sad about my parent's death but that doesn't give you the right to erase my entire past! Because of you two I forgot who my _**real**_ parents were! I can't even remember their faces! I can't see anything at all! Nothing!" _

"_Because of you I forgot someone who was really important to me! He went through the same thing I did. He suffered like I did but he made the best of his life! It must have hurt him so badly but he got through it!"_

"_Was he the one who told you?" Jin asked calmly._

"_What does it matter who told me?" Sakura rested against the nearest wall as she clutched her head firmly. She searched for her locked memories but with each time she tried, her symptoms of shivering, sharp headaches and nasegua seemed to worsen.  
><em>

"_Sakura stop it! Remembering is only going to hurt you!"_

_"Leave me alone!"_

"_Sakura calm down!"_

"_Why should I listen to you? **You aren't my parents**."_

"_Young lady!"_

"_Whatever. I've heard enough."_

* * *

><p>Naruto must have knocked on the door while Sakura was busy having her little blast from the past, because the next thing she knew the door to the house opened.<p>

She looked to side and saw Naruto straighten his spine as much as he could. He checked his clothing for any thread out of place so that there were no wrinkles.

_Naruto Uzumaki was actually_ _grooming himself._

Despite his little stunt to cheer her up, he must have been feeling the pressure as well.

She followed his gaze and stared at the person standing in the doorway - a young girl with lengthy crimson red hair. She burst through the doorway and onto Sakura. She buried her face in Sakura's chest and locked her arms around her's waist shouting as loudly as she could with her high pitched voice, "Onee-chan!"

Before she responded, Sakura combed her hand through the girl's hair, "Imouto-chan."

"Where have you been? You disappeared and I've been waiting for you to come home forever!" Sakura winced slightly as her sister (?) dug her tiny fingers into Sakura's blouse, "Mom and Dad have been worried sick! They won't tell me anything! And-and I-"

Out of the blue her frantic speech came to a grinding halt. Her expression turn stoic as she calmly broke away from Sakura smoothing down her frilly white one piece dress. She lazily closed her eyes, turned her head away and stared out into space in a bored-like fashion.

"You really gave them a heart attack you know." She huffed.

"Hana? Don't tell me you're turning Tsundere already?" Sakura chuckled. That was her sister. All tried to become more adult-like when she was only a child on the inside. She was 12 after all.

Hana's face immediately flushed crimson as she stumbled for an appropriate response, "No! I didn't miss you at all! I knew you would come back! It's just that…you haven't helped me with my homework in a while!"

"I see." Sakura smiled. "Now come give your sister a hug."

"I'm too old for hugs-wah!"

Sakura didn't wait for Hana to answer before she wrapped her arms around her head. Hana relentlessly flailed her arms about at first but succumbed to the warm fuzziness within her and eased into it.

Sakura's heart relaxed as if it had heaved a large sigh. Hana was safe. She was still ignorant of the fact that they weren't true sisters. It hurt Sakura deeply to know that they weren't blood related. She loved Hana. She'd do anything for her sister.

While Sakura kept her mother's (?) name, Hana had her father's. Sakura always wondered why she kept Ami's maiden name (if that was her maiden name) but passed it off as a decision made by her parents. At the time it didn't seem like that big of deal but looking back it made her realize what a fool she had been to not see it sooner.

Unbeknown to Sakura, Naruto had a hard time relaxing in the presence of Sakura's sister. Tried as he did, he couldn't avoid the nasty scrutinizing glares the little girl gave him. No matter where he turned, he could have felt her deadly glances. He could have sworn that she actually _hissed_ at him when Sakura wasn't looking.

"Hana?" An extremely familiar feminine voice called out from inside (one that made Sakura shiver).

"What's wrong? Who's at the door?"

Ami Haruno was a woman Sakura had always looked up to. She was kind, hardworking, courteous and above all a loving mother. Sakura had to admit that. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Looking at her again, Sakura had doubts whether she was her mother or not. They shared many physical features including the sparkling emerald eyes and salmon-pink hair.

She was as solid a statue when she came to the door. Her eyes opened wide with surprise and her jaw slightly agape. Sakura looked away for a moment before her eyes returned to Ami. They stared at each other for the longest while until Sakura figured she'd say something.

"Um-"

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She threw herself at Sakura, much like Hana, putting the three of them in an awkward hug. Soon enough, Sakura began to feel small tears land on her shoulders. Ami was always overemotional at times like these.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing..."

"Mom?" Curiosity and worry sparked in Hana's eyes when she realized her mother was crying.

"Sorry dear, I'll explain later."

"Ami?"

Sakura remembered Jin Itou looked a lot nicer when she last saw him. He looked like one of those people who probably smiled and waved to the citizens, laughed at everyone's unfunny jokes, and so on. A generally okay guy if not a bit over protective of his daughters. However, this was not the same man.

His hair was graying slightly, which probably had less to do with age and more to do with stress. There were frown lines on his face, showing that the 2 weeks that Sakura had been gone were not happy times. It seemed like he found nothing to soothe the irritation, worry, anxiety and stress that he had probably gone through when she ran away.

She could tell that Naruto was just as nervous she was. He seemed frozen on the spot when her father's eyes locked onto him. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief when he turned back to Sakura.

"I see you came back."

"Yeah."

"There were no problems with your living arrangements?"

"I slept over at a friend's house."

"I should go over and thank them for their hospitality."

"No need. They already know."

"Still-"

Before he could finish his terribly awkward conversation with Sakura his wife grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him into family hug "Just be quiet and hug your daughter!"

And so he did. Awkwardly.

Naruto's smile widened at the touching scene that basically just unfolded before him. He could have even felt a tear forming in his left eye.

As he raised his finger to wipe it off, the scene morphed and changed into something different. It became a distance memory that was all too familiar with him. His ever present smile quickly twisted and turned into a frown as he felt his heart sank.

It was a scene from 10 years ago - a time where everything was right with the world. It was the last time Naruto saw his parents.

Feelings from the past and present clashed leaving Naruto with a torrent of emotions that he could hardly contain. He didn't know what to do. He felt like his limbs were frozen in place while his heart burned with grief.

He was afraid if he saw Sakura's face he would breakdown in front of her.

What was he doing here? It was Sakura's place to be, not his.

Sakura took a slow, deep breath before she came out with what she was dying to say for weeks, "Listen guys, about what I said before…I'm sorry…I-"

"You don't need to apologize dear." Ami interrupted. And as she did, one by one the family pulled away from Sakura.

"I don't?"

"You were angry. With what we did anybody would." Jin remarked.

"We're just glad you came back."

Hana tapped her lightly foot on the front porch as she heaved a sigh, "Will someone _please_ explain to me just what's going on here?"

"We'll talk about it later, ok?" Ami knelt down to her daughter's level and rubbed the crown of her head.

"Before any of that, there's someone I need to introduce you guys to," Sakura turned with her hand stretched out pointing towards the blonde boy behind her. Strangely, Sakura found herself pointing at nothing. She furrowed her eyebrows when she realized she was pointing at thin air. Her eyes darted back and forth as she searched for Naruto but he was nowhere to be found.

He had literally vanished without a trance.

"Naruto…?"

* * *

><p><em>For those of you who don't know: <em>

_Imouto – Younger sister._

_Tsundere – Girl who isn't honest with herself; usually a haughty petite girl with small breasts. _


	18. Gem

_0~0~0  
><em>

_Gem  
><em>

_More Precious Than the Finest Gold_

_0~0~0  
><em>

* * *

><p>What was he doing here? It was Sakura's place to be, not his.<p>

Conflicting feelings all meshed together ripping apart his piece of mind. In his selfishness, he spoke the truth of their past which almost caused a fallout in their family. She had parents who loved her from the bottom of their hearts; she deserved them as much as they deserved her.

He remembers his parents when all he wanted to do was live and forget. He didn't know what do. All he knew was he had to get away. He had to get out of there right now. If he stayed he would have only ruined the beautiful family moment. Before he even realized it himself, he had already walked 2 blocks away. He didn't know where his destination was, or how long it would take to get there. He just walked on never looking back.

By the time he had returned home, it was already midnight.

He came back to a dark and empty apartment with his only companions for the night, the stars. With an exasperated sighed, he whispered "I'm home," knowing that no one would reply.

He did not bother to remember what he had been doing so long since his mind was filled with nothing but his time with his parents. He figured he would just forget the entire day and slip into bed. And so he did. He crashed onto his bed without a word and drifted off into listless slumber.

_~o~o~o~_

Sakura moved quietly through the apartment. She could not afford to disturb anyone so early, especially Yui who was a monster when she woke up early.

She slipped into the kitchen and immediately began to set out the necessary pans and ingredients. After weeks in the house she had become quite familiar with it. Soon the smell of bacon began to permeate the air as she mixed the batter for the pancakes that she could already taste.

As she worked, she periodically checked Naruto's room for any sounds or movement. _Nothing so far. _

A few minutes later with a tray in hand, Sakura made her way to his room. Naruto was still sleeping peacefully in his bed when Sakura entered. She smiled as she placed the tray on his bed stand and slowly stroke his hair gently and waited for him to wake up.

Very slowly. His eyes began to open as he blinked away the sleep. For a moment, he thought that he was still dreaming. All he could see was the beautiful face of an angel watching over him. It did not register in his mind that it was Sakura until he felt her lips upon his.

"Good morning," she smiled as she pulled away.

"Good morning, yourself," he smiled back.

"I've got something for you." She sang as she grabbed the tray from the bed stand and showed Naruto his breakfast in bed.

It was only then did Naruto's mind click into place. He did a double take at first but ended up shaking his head in disbelief as he sat up as she placed it in his lap. He looked to her for an explanation but she answered with her brightest smile yet.

_What was she doing here? Wasn't she going back to her parent's house?_

It was not until now that he realized that she was in her pink nightshirt; her extravagantly, frilly _short_ nightshirt. He fumbled with the fork that she had brought him as he tried oh so hard not to stare.

"What's wrong?" she asked watching his hand shake.

"Don't you think that, I dunno, maybe you should put some clothes on?" he asked nervously.

"What?" she asked with a mischievous grin. "You don't like what you see?"

"No! I mean yes! I mean-"

With a tender kiss over Naruto's lips she hushed him up. She managed to stop his protests but he just stared at her completely dumbstruck.

"Eat your breakfast, Naruto," she told him.

After eating his breakfast with an incredibly distracting Sakura at his side, Naruto lifted his tray and began to carry it out of his room. He walked into the kitchen where he found a pile of dishes waiting for him. It wasn't like Sakura to leave a mess anywhere. She was always so neat and tidy.

He placed his plate and fork in the sink but before he could run the water, he felt two slender arms wrap around his stomach as Sakura pressed herself against his back.

"Just leave them," she said.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a smile. "What's up with you?"

"Today is special," he heard her answer. He turned to face her and she just held him tighter. "Let's go for a walk."

Looking down at her puppy eyes, how could he say no?

After getting back to his room and putting on a large orange shirt with black tribal signs and a pair of black jeans. Naruto met Sakura out on the back porch where she stood waiting with a large sun hat with a rose pink one piece dress with black frills flowing with every push of the wind.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

With no more warning than a grin, Sakura laced her arms around his and guided him down the metallic steps to the ground that had been kissed by the morning sun.

Sakura waved goodbye to the people she passed by as she ran them down the street. She was going to make sure that the two of them had a wonderful day together all by themselves.

* * *

><p>At first it was not so bad. They started off with a walk down the streets of the city. That was where the stress first began with all of the whistles and wolf calls that Sakura got. Sakura couldn't care less about those. What truly worried her was the glare that Naruto shot to almost all the men that looked in her general direction.<p>

Then there was his 'Vigilant hawk-eye' as he put it, scanning the streets for any sign of danger. While she couldn't blame him or get angry at him for it, it did bother her that he wasn't looking at her but everyone else when she wanted to say something to him.

Naruto, rather than receiving cat calls, got glares, scoffs, stares, sideway glances and even a snarl. Sakura shared the similar fate from some of the adults (as if Naruto wasn't angry enough) but she paid them no mind. The only reason Naruto didn't explode was Sakura's smile. Whenever he would reach critical mass she would always distract him with a bright smile, a change of topic or point to an item she admired.

(He offered to buy but she said no.)

By the time they had decided to stop for lunch, Naruto was upset enough to eat the entire restaurant. Even after the mountain of food he bought, he still asked for a bowl of ramen afterwards. Luckily, they didn't serve it (which tore Naruto up on in the inside).

Naruto was not sure what to make of the feeling he was experiencing as he walked down the park that afternoon. Even as distracting as Sakura's outfit was, and her unusual clinging, he felt strangely calm. Like the weight of the word was finally off his shoulders. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he could have relaxed.

It was the oddest sensation.

"It's so peaceful here," Sakura said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Even the strangely barren park that once held a painful memory seemed peaceful and serene.

Maybe that was it. Peace. Maybe he felt at peace. If he had ever felt that way before, it had to have been long time ago. Why was he feeling this way? Was it of Sakura's presence?

_Probably._

"What's that smile for?" Sakura asked.

"What smile?"

"Come on," she whined. "Tell me."

"Nope."

"If you don't tell me, I'll hit you," she threatened playfully.

"You and what army?" he asked.

"Is that another no?"

"Maybe."

Sakura rammed her shoulders against his, but by reflex Naruto pulled away leaving Sakura unbalanced. Naruto stretched out and wrapped his arms around her but it only caused him to be pulled along with her. As the two rolled down the slight hill slope, Naruto was baffled. Sakura giggled the entire way down.

Naruto didn't know if it was Déjà vu or just the world's way of messing with him but Sakura was on top of him once more. He looked around noticing that they were in the center of a flower field. Naruto only took a fallen petal from the giggling Sakura's hair, before he realized what happened.

Naruto's breath was taken away by Sakura's mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as possible while his arms instinctively snaked around her waist. Heat surged its way through his body as Sakura deepened their kiss. She moaned lightly and he took it as an invitation to continue.

"You two do realize that you're sitting in a very delicate flower bed, don't you?" a voice asked them. They turned to find Sai and Naruto's friend, Yuuji staring at them, grinning ear to ear. Sai just continued. "Keep heating it up like that and you're liable to kill something in there."

Sakura and Naruto pulled themselves apart and pushed their way to the top of the small hill.

"Hey guys," Sakura said excitedly (still feeling the effects of the kiss), "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm looking for a suitable scene to paint. Yuuji was on a jog and we happened to meet up a short while ago." Sai answered flatly.

"Yeah, I figured I'd jog. Nothing much else to do." Yuuji stretched his joints.

"Thanks, thanks a lot Yuuji" Naruto told his friend in a hushed whisper.

"Cheer up," Yuuji grinned. "It's still bright up, you could still get lucky."

It took all of Naruto's willpower and self control not to hit him out of embarrassment. He was blunt, and did not seem to care one way or the other what anyone thought. He was always like that.

"Well, I only interrupted you two to save the flowers. Now that that's over with you can continue - just not on the flowers." Sai stated as he bowed before he walked away. "If you two will excuse me, I'll be off."

"Yeah, I'm with him on this," Yuuji grinned "Don't have too much fun you two."

Naruto moaned.

_~o~o~o~_

"Now what?" Naruto asked while they were seated on a park bench.

"I thought we could just sit here and relax for a while." She answered, leaning into Naruto's shoulders.

"Good," Naruto pressed against her slightly, "Now we have time to talk."

"Talk about what?"

"About you," Naruto said. "I'm not saying that I don't like it but haven't you been acting a bit strangely? I mean, breakfast in bed, you haven't slapped me or hit me once all day, and you're a lot more aggressive."

"Was I caught?" Sakura asked playfully.

"You were caught."

"This," Sakura punched his arm lightly, "Was for ditching me yesterday."

"Sorry."

"You're forgiven," Sakura said. "I figured that you had your reasons for leaving. So I won't ask about them. I figured that you were less than happy so I planned out the day to brighten your spirits a bit."

"And, my dad said that I should be grateful to you for letting me stay over." She kissed his cheek "Thank you."

_She called him dad,_ he thought.

"So does this mean that you're moving back with your parents?"

"Well thanks to you, I realized how much they cared about me. I mean, they kept apologizing to me for what they did. I already forgave them, even though I can't remember anything."

"And they are my family no matter how I look at it. We're related by blood. Ami is my mother's sister. Which would make Hana my cousin. But to answer your question, yes I'm going to live with them."

"Oh…"

"Don't look so down, okay?" Sakura managed a smile, "Because I don't plan on moving out of the apartment."

"What do you mean?"

"I managed to talk my dad down to sleeping over a few days. 3 days a week. He said that week days were off limits." She smiled "So from Friday night to Monday morning I'm all yours."

Naruto pulled Sakura into a hug, raining down kissing on her head. "You're amazing Sakura, how'd you manage that?"

"Don't thank me yet," Sakura coughed, "There is a condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to come over soon so he can 'have a manly talk' with you."

"…why does that fill me with terror?"

"Good luck, Na-ru-to-kun."

"…why do I feel like you already gave up on me?"

She just smiled.

* * *

><p>"So did you have fun today?" she asked him.<p>

"A little," he replied. "Could have been better if we had ramen for lunch."

She only pinched his arm as he looked out the glass doors at the stars appearing in the sky. The day itself had never seemed all that special to him, but Sakura always went out of her way to try. She did relax him, which he was thankful for.

"Do you feel better?"

"Much." He grinned "Like I was never down in the first place."

As he watched the night begin to take hold of the late spring sky, he felt the fatigue settling in.

"I'm going to call it a night," he told her as he kissed her cheek. "Thanks again for today."

"You're welcome," she smiled serenely as he disappeared to her room.

Sakura said that she begged her father for her to be able to spend the night here without Naruto having to 'confront' her father so he was safe for now.

Sleep was setting in nicely as Naruto lay on his bed thinking about the day. In all honesty, Naruto was slightly happy that Sai and Yuuji showed up when they did. If they didn't he would have known what would have happened. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of what happened on the stairway.

"I have to keep myself in check," he said to himself as he turned onto his side "But it's so hard…"

Just then, his ears caught the sound of his door being opened. Sakura entered the room, wearing her same short nightshirt. "Room for one more?" She whispered.

"Sakura?"

Sakura wore quite the mysterious face that that both scared and aroused him. She did not speak. She simply crawled onto the bed, pressed closer to him and brought their lips together. The feelings and the heat behind the kiss was similar to their experience on the stairway and the flower bed.

He placed his arm over her side and held her tightly as his other arm slipped under her as he pulled away and began to kiss her neck. Her body shook slightly and all her muscles tensed up. She moaned lightly as his lips and short breaths made her feel like she was melting.

She placed her hands on his bare chest and straddled him. She nervously pulled her nightshirt over her head and revealed the pink lace and creamy white skin that was hidden beneath.

"Sakura," he whispered hoarsely. "You don't have to-".

"No, I don't," She silenced him with another passionate. The sensation of her tongue on his was nearly enough to drive him wild, but he had to restrain himself. She was precious, and he did not want to hurt her. She pulled her lips away for a moment and panted as she spoke "But I want to. I want you."

"I can't," he said. "I don't want to hurt you."

Sakura only shook her head with a small smile on her lips. "I want this but if you don't-."

It was Naruto's turn to silence her. He flipped the scene over and pinned her to the bed. He began to rain kisses down her forehead and slowly making his way down to her neck while he moved his fingers through her soft hair. Sakura giggled, the kisses were tickling her.

In that moment, Naruto's sole thought was that this girl in front of him was the one. If it wasn't her then there was no point. She became his everything.

"I'll be gentle," he whispered as pulled back just enough for her to see his face clearly. "I love you, Sakura."

"I love you too."

Nothing more needed to be said. In this moment, they were ready to show each other just how much. She was his, and she would love him until the end and he was hers, treating her like the gem she truly was for the rest of their days.

* * *

><p><em>AN: There is something I've noticed in many manga and anime alike. Whenever there is an extremely happy moment it is almost always followed by a moment of extreme sadness and tragedy_. _Wink, wink nudge, nudge._


	19. Ghosts of the Past

_| Dark Hero Arc |_

_An Avenger walks a dark, solitary path without hesitation._

* * *

><p><em>0~0~0<em>

_Ghosts of the Past_

_0~0~0_

* * *

><p><em>Sometimes, I wonder if it's all worth it.<em>

_I think day and night whether my goals in life are worth fighting for. When you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders you just feel like giving up. Or when you're in a world of hurt and the pain just doesn't seem to go away. _

_When living becomes so painful, your only escape from it all is to be put out of your misery. When it seems like the end of the world and your only minutes away from death. _

_Yeah, sometimes the world seems like it hates you. It's moments like these that make me think if life is even worth living._

When Sasuke regained consciousness, he immediately wished he hadn't. He screamed at the top his lungs from the shear rush of pain. It could have made the manliest of men teary eyed, crying for their mothers. His eyes opened wide, shocked by the strange phenomena that had happened to his arms.

_They're….broken…?_

Sasuke's eyes glanced over the scorched scenery in search for his fallen comrades. The warehouse was falling apart. He had to find them quickly. Bodies as far as his damaged eyes could see littered the ground. Out of the bodies he could recognize Suigetsu, Karin and even Jugo. He gritted his teeth so hard he felt like his gums were about to bleed as he forced his body upwards, ignoring the searing pain surging through his body.

_Goddammit! This…wasn't supposed to happen._

"Ren! Where are-" Suddenly blood spewed from his mouth splattering over the destroyed concrete floor "Gah…Ren! Where are you!"

"Sasuke-kun."

A familiar figure appeared amidst of the flames and destruction. His sinister grin grew wider with each passing second. Just looking at him was more unbearable than his physical injuries. He hated this man. No human word could describe his feelings of pure _resentment_ for this man. He ruined Sasuke's life. Hell he ruined everything he touched.

Sasuke had a personal vendetta against Tobi but _this guy_ was the embodiment of Sasuke's hatred.

"You bastard!" The boy spoke with nothing but hatred in his heart. "_I'll kill you. I swear to god I'll kill you!_"

The figure ignored Sasuke and grabbed him roughly hanging him by his neck "Any last words?"

"Fuck you!"

"Not very classy for someone's dying words." He spoke in his grimly cold voice. The man pulled out a large metal spear with a super heated tip in his free hand and he held it against Sasuke's stomach.

"All of this could be avoided if you join me."

Sasuke spat in his face.

"Humans are such prideful creatures. Not even willing to break face in front of those you cared for." Sasuke's face began to falter. This was entirely his fault. "Maybe this is why I enjoy toying with them."

"Pitiful," The man threw Sasuke into the air, grabbed the spear with both hands and thrust the spear forward. While Sasuke momentarily flew, he wondered what he had done wrong to end up in this situation. He had everything planned to every last detail.

Why did it end up this way?

Sasuke always thought that people who swore they saw their lives flash before their eyes were only being melodramatic. But now that he was on the verge of death, he began to understand. His mind escaped to the night a few months back to when all this madness began.

_~0~0~0~_

_Flashback_

* * *

><p>"Well I'll be damned," Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes. Kiba walked into the bar with a girl, yes a girl, locked arm in arm. "Looks like you owe the man one week of homework Neji."<p>

"I don't believe it."

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kiba asked wearing the largest grin Neji had ever seen.

"Drop the charade Kiba, which one of your relatives did you coerce into going on a date with you?" Neji remarked eyeing the new girl from top to bottom.

"Or did you actually pay her for this?" Choji asked as he inspected the mystery girl.

Her short dark brown hair only reached her shoulders. Her bright brown eyes sparkled under the night sky. She wore a lot of makeup, it wasn't heavy it was just enough to bring out her full beauty. She wore a long light brown blouse with a green jacket along with brown pants.

"Are you really this bad with woman Kiba?" the girl chuckled covering her mouth with her hand "My names Mizura by the way. I'm in his science class and no, he didn't pay me. He did coerce me though."

"You poor soul," Shino actually spoke. He even sympathized with her. He never did that!

"I didn't coerce you!" Kiba retorted. For the night, he wore a grey shirt with a samurai etched in the front and black pants with twin wolves etched in the back.

"You did beg me for the entire week though." Mizura remarked.

"True."

Once again the gang found themselves at Kaleidoscope. They needed a break from school and decided to unwind. Neji would have been home with a good book and a cup of tea but he was unwillingly dragged here by Tenten. He couldn't be happier that Hinata couldn't be here tonight. Luckily she had some business with the family so she stayed behind. Also Rock Lee couldn't attend because of some secret training nonsense planned by Guy-sensei. So far Neji just wanted the night to be done with.

"So you're the infamous Neji Hyuga huh?" Mizura asked.

"Infamous?"

"Yeah! In science class, Kiba and Tenten won't stop talking about you." Mizura giggled as she watched Tenten turn crimson "From the way she talks about you it's like you're dating or something."

"What? Why on earth would I want to date Tenten?"

Suddenly, Neji felt like his foot was on fire. Tenten roughly stomped on his foot, and with a huff made her way to the dance floor.

"Ouch! Wait, Tenten." Neji bowed before he ran off after her.

"You didn't need to tease them about it." Kiba sighed. Mizura revealed her coy smile.

"Are you kidding? It's about time those two told each other how they felt." Shikamaru yawned.

"Speaking of couples," Choji pointed to Ino and Sakura who were dancing the night away, "Isn't about time for you too?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in Ino's directed but just as quickly brought it back to his drink, "Too troublesome…"

"Yeah, that's totally why you won't go through with it."

"She deserves better."

"There's no one better than you my friend."

Shikamaru sighed. Arguing with him wasn't going to change his mind, so he shrugged "Whatever."

_~0~0~0~_

"Don't you want to join in on the fun?" Naruto sat down next to Sasuke who didn't seem like he wasn't enjoying himself.

"As fun as that seems, I rather sit down here and enjoy my mediocre drink."

"Come on, I'm not usually one to be in a place like this but at least I enjoy myself while I can." Naruto pleaded.

"Why did you even drag me here anyway?"

"I just wanted you to have fun."

"I don't need fun." Sasuke looked over the dance floor "Why not dance with Sakura?"

"I'm not leaving this spot until I know you won't leave when my back is turned."

Sasuke clicked his teeth, Naruto saw through his plan.

Sasuke rested against the bar counter and watched Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Neji (?) dancing. More like Neji stood awkwardly while Tenten danced around him and poked fun at him. No matter what Sasuke was not going to turn into Neji for a night.

"Come on man! Do something!" Naruto ordered but his gloomy friend refused to move.

"No thank you," Sasuke refused.

Naruto sagged down in his chair and sighed. He wanted Sasuke to loosen up but Sasuke literally wouldn't budge. He and the other guys had to literally carry Sasuke to the club otherwise he'd be cramped up in his room. Naruto knew it was wrong to force things onto people but Sasuke spent way too much time on his computer.

"So, why am I here again?" Ren sighed. She didn't want to be here. The last thing she remembered was cleaning Sasuke's apartment before Naruto and his friends showed up and practically kidnapped Sasuke from his room.

Before they could leave, Sasuke ordered her to follow him. When she complained about being busy for the night and having no proper clothing, it only took Sasuke one glare for her to follow obediently. He even bought her a new white one piece dress on the way here. She liked the dress but she hated it when he bought things for her.

Her _master (using the term loosely) _was complicated.

"Yeah, why are you here?" Karin asked with her head resting against the palm of her hand.

Karin was less than happy that Sasuke brought Naruto along, but his maid? She didn't need two rivals for his attention! She only wore this one piece dress on special occasions. It was light crimson with white birds emerging from the bottom up. She fixed her hair which was much curlier thanks to the hours put into it. She turned to Sasuke but he only glared at her, meaning he wasn't happy with her.

_Damn_, she rested her elbow on the counter.

"Cool it Karin," Sasuke glared "She's here because she doesn't want to be here."

"Huh?"

"She was the one who informed Naruto that I was spending too much time indoors. It's a fitting punishment that she suffers along with me for as long as possible."

"That's not much of a punishment you know," Ren remarked.

"Quiet," Sasuke raised his drink to his face, "I'll find a more fitting punishment when we return home."

"Hai." Ren sighed.

"What was that?"

"Hai-_Master_." Ren pulled a fake smile.

"Good."

She was going to kill him for this. Who did he think he was embarrassing her in front of his friend like that? _Revenge I say! _(Usually her brand of revenge would get her hurt but let's not tell her that.)

Opposed to Sasuke's sour disposition, Naruto couldn't help but grin and laugh at the scene. Sasuke was more childish than he ever let on when he was surrounded by his friends.

"Hey you," A familiar pink haired woman walked to Naruto with a playful smile on her face.

"Hey yourself," He replied returning her playful grin with one of his own.

For one reason or the other, Sasuke noticed that the two had been closer than before. Sasuke assumed that their relationship became more _physical_. He took into account that there was much more physical contact between them. It could have only meant that they were much more comfortable with each other's bodies. I.e. they had sex.

"So are you going to sit here all day or are you going to dance with me?" She asked while lightly tugging on his hands.

"I'd love too but if I leave, Sasuke will run away,"

"Have it your way Naruto," Sasuke sighed "I don't want to be the one to get in the way with your so called 'love' with the violent pink one."

"Hey!"

"I'm not going to run away." Sasuke waved his hand dismissively.

Naruto's grin couldn't be any larger. In a flash, he whisked Sakura off her feet and disappeared into the crowd with her.

Karin saw this as a huge chance. "So…Sasuke-kun does that mean you're ready to break the ice and have fun?"

Sasuke didn't bother to dignify Karin's question with an answer. This constant prodding to have fun felt like hell on earth.

_No…this isn't hell…_

He knew what hell felt like. He had been there and back. But that was a long time ago. A time that he wished he could have forgotten.

...

_Sasuke slowly made his way to the main living room to finda tall man cloaked in a black trench coat grabbed his mother by the throat as he pinned her against the wall. Overtaken by anger the boy tried to rush in to save his mother, but from the corner of his eye, he noticed that his mother shot him a glare to remain where he was._

_"Please, don't be as foolish as your husband. Reconsider our proposal." He hissed through his teeth._

_"There is nothing to reconsider! You're mad!" She screamed, flailing about trying to break free from his grip._

_"It's a shame how true human innovation and vision is often confused for madness!" The man relaxed his grip letting her fall to the floor. "Don't you see? This is evolution! All I want is to make you all a part of it."_

_"Your vision is corrupt and disgusting." She coughed, trying hard to get up but she soon fell back as the man kicked her squarely in the stomach._

_"So far only a few of the families I've visited has agreed with me." The man pulled one of the chairs and casually sat down. "Those who didn't share my vision met with an unfortunate end. Sad really. They were great people who could have changed the world. It would truly be a shame for the Uchiha Clan's main branch to join them in their eternal rest because of your stubbornness."_

_"Someone is going to catch onto your plan sooner or later and when that time comes I'll be laughing at your failure and ultimately your demise." Mikoto chuckled._

_"You can laugh all you want," the man withdrew his hidden blade and pointed it to Mikoto "while you turn and rot in your grave."_

_"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY MOTHER!"_

_...  
><em>

That day was the true day he felt hell. He lost everything and was left with a _criminal_ who called himself 'brother'. But Sasuke's pain did not end there. Lost and alone, he wandered through life without conscious thought of the outside world.

He didn't care about anything. All the faces that show him sympathy seemed like greedy monsters who wanted nothing but to share his fame and fortune. They became hallow faceless creatures.

Sasuke didn't know what he wanted from life. Revenge seemed like a distance dream that he was never going to reach. That dream had never seemed possible…until Sasuke met _him_.

Sasuke didn't realize but he was getting angrier by the moment. He gritted his teeth. The face of that man raged through his head.

"Sasuke-sama!" The voice snapped him out of his thoughts "What's wrong? You're sweating and you look frustrated." Ren calmly wiped the sweat off his face.

"It's nothing I was just thinking of something….unpleasant." Sasuke sighed, trying to release the anger that scorched his mind.

Just then, Sasuke could see a small metal object with a large barrel pointing at Ren's head. Seconds after the gun fired time seemed to stop. Sasuke stretched his arms and grabbed her, falling off the bar counter. The bullet whizzed by Ren and Sasuke's head by mere inches as they crashed to the ground. The music continued to boom but everyone had already stopped dancing.

Sasuke didn't stay on the ground for long, he charged straight up from the ground kicking the pistol out of the man's hand. Using the same leg, he brought it down on the man knocking him to the ground. Sasuke grabbed the man's arm twisting it as he pinned the man to the ground.

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke's voice boomed over the music. The man didn't answer; he simply smiled which only served to provoke Sasuke further.

"Who are you?" Sasuke threatened twisting the man's arm once more.

"Ah. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke. What if the man simply wishes not to speak?"

Sasuke couldn't believe it. That voice. _That wrenched voice_.

Sasuke whipped his head around the club but that man's body was nowhere to be found.

"_Where the hell are you?"_ Sasuke screamed his voice laced with so much rage and frustration it would make any normal person cringed. However, this man was far from normal.

"Are you not happy to see me? Well," he chuckled "hear me?"

Sasuke knew that he had a contempt smile on his face somewhere in the building. Sasuke didn't respond to the voice. He rushed towards the general direction of the voice in a blind fury. His attempt was simply thwarted when two rather large men kick Sasuke sending him crashing into a table.

"_Sasuke!"_ The voices of all his friends echoed through the room. Ren and Karin rushed to pull him up but he shook the girls off and removed the shards of glass that managed to pierce his right arm.

"Sorry that I couldn't come to see how you've grown over the years but I don't want you to think that I don't care about you anymore. So I left you a present; two of them in fact."

One had medium length silver hair slicked back with distinctive purple eyes. He also wore dark green nail polish and his orange while the other was a dark skinned, muscular man that towered over everyone in the club. He wore a white hood and a black mask, with his eyes being the only visible part of his face. He had long dark brown hair. His eyes had an unusual coloring: green irises, no pupils and red sclera. They wore matching black top hats and were dressed in complete black suits with red ties.

Everyone gathered around Sasuke all glaring daggers at the men who randomly appeared.

"I see you've made quite a few friends I'm proud to have such a popular pupil."

"Don't bullshit me!" Sasuke made an attempt to rush at the men but was held back by Ren and Karin.

"Sasuke stop! He is doing it on purpose!" Karin pleaded holding Sasuke with all the strength she had.

"He wants to provoke you! Calm down!" Ren wrapped her arms around his.

Sasuke couldn't help it; this man had taken so much from him. He had destroyed so much of Sasuke's life.

"No! I'll give him what he wants!" Sasuke shook the girls and rushed once more. Only to be stopped by Kiba and Neji.

"Get out of my way!"

"Idiot, listen to what the girls are telling you," Kiba lacked his usual jovial mood, he was dead serious.

"Think about it," Neji spoke calmly "As much as you want to beat their faces in, there are a lot of innocent people in here. If these guys are here what's to say there aren't a hundred more waiting outside? Just let it go and walk away while you still can."

"Move!" Sasuke pushed Neji aside tore through the crowd until he got to the men in black.

Rather than prepare themselves for a fight, the silver haired man grinned widely as he whispered "Get them."

Within seconds the bar was filled with gruesome gangsters and vicious and unruly teenagers alike. They poured in from the front door, back rooms and opened windows.

The gang wasn't the only one wanting to take the other gang down. The employee's as well as a few teen's that had their dance ruined all lined up with them ready for a bar brawl. When the two factions collided, all hell broke loss. Tables were over turned, broken glass spread across the floor and bodies were continuously hitting the floor.

It was no surprise to Naruto that none of the boys attacked him. He had fought many of these boys before via the fight club or random street gangs that just wanted to take him down. That was fine with him. Sakura wouldn't get hurt and there were a few things he had to do before the night ended.

"Tenten grab the girls and get out of here now!" Shikamaru cried trying to hold his own against the three guys that decided to take him out first. It was priority number one to get those with zero combat ability out of harm's way. It's not like Shikamaru was no different, but he figured he could put up a fight before he went down.

"What about you guys?" Tenten cried amidst the crowd out as she whip-kicked a delinquent directly into his gut, running up his body with her right and kicked him in the face with her left once more.

"Just take the girls with you and go!" Just then, a tall blonde man rushed up on the stage and rose his foot up to kick. Kiba instinctively kicked the man's leg back down and thrust his fist into the man's face shooting him back off the stage.

"Alright but-!" Tenten landed gracefully, noticing that they were outnumbered 50 – 1. If she left the boys would have no way of winning. They were already fighting a losing battle.

"Tenten just get out of here!" Neji lost his cool and shouted he struggled to push a burly teen that was about twice his weight. He hung in there as long as he could until the kid grabbed his shirt and flung him across the room sending him straight into a wooden table.

Naruto pushed Sakura towards Tenten with a slight grin on his face. Sakura turned to face him but he had already disappeared. Tenten interpreted that as 'I trust you with her'. She steeled her will and grabbed Mizura and Ren.

"Sakura grab Karin and Ino we're leaving!"

"But what about the guys! We can't just leave them here!" Ino retorted.

"Sakura!" Tenten screamed.

Ino turned to Sakura who wore an indescribable look on her face. The next thing she knew she was being rushed out of the side door along with the rests of the teens that were struggling to get out. She only had a moment to turn back to watch the boys for what felt like the last time to her.

From his downed position, Neji looked out the broken window and noticed all of the people that seemed to be gathering on the street. When they forced the front door open and began pouring in through the windows, he furrowed his brow and began fighting them off. There were so many it was hard for him to keep track of what was going on. He threw punches, delivered palms and used different techniques. There was just no end to them.

Kiba turn his head just in time to notice that one of the gang members had a pool's stick waving at his head. He nimbly dodged it giving him enough time to launch his fist straight into the man's throat; disarming him. He grabbed the pool's stick and began twirling it between his fingers; stopping and motioning the next set of men to come at him.

"Come at me, bro."

Just then, Sasuke zoomed passed them heading straight for the main event of the night. Nothing was going to get in his way tonight. But as if to curse him, the same twin guards appeared once more. Sasuke instantly slid and back flipped before he could injure himself further. He gritted his teeth and eyed the men with a smothering rage.

"We got this." He could feel large hands on his shoulders. He turned and noticed that Choji and Shino had his back this time. He nodded and the three rushed forward sending a furious onslaught of fists and feet. In the midst of the fight, Sasuke managed to get by them and head towards the source of all his rage.

He smashed the back door with his shoulder, rolling front to lighten the impact from the landing. When he looked up, heaps of trash and boxes were scattered across the ground in the cold damp back alley the door lead to. In a fraction of a second, from the corner of his dark eyes Sasuke saw the flash of highlights.

_Shit! He's getting away!_

Sasuke rushed to the source of the highlights to witness a black Lexus speeding off down the street. He didn't waste any time. He sped down the corner and just as quickly came out with his prized Onyx black Honda CBR 1000. He pulled back on the handle as hard as he could and with that the bike tore down the streets in pursuit.

He wasn't about to let him get away. _Not again._

"Well this doesn't look good." Kiba smirked nervously, eyeing down the thugs that surrounded him.

"Quiet Kiba," Neji retorted wiping the loose trail of blood flowing down his mouth.

The boys were impressed they made it this far. They had taken down dozens of thugs but for each thug that hit the ground four more popped up to replace them. It was a never ending battle that was doomed to fail from the beginning. They were all back to back with little strength left in their bodies.

They all knew that there was no hope of winning. There was no plan. No great escape. No nothing.

One of the thugs walked forward with a steel bat that he swung left and right. His smile grew crooked and dark as he spoke "Time to get started."

As if on cue, everyone went into a blind frenzy as they closed in on the boys.

_Crap…_

* * *

><p><em>If there is anything that needs clarification don't be afraid to ask. Also, I'm trying to make this as interactive as possible so I'm keeping the main antagonist a mystery. I'll be leave clues as to who he is, so its up to you to figure out his identity. Hint: It's not an OC.<em>

_Just a few quick notes. With this new arc, there comes a different main character. You guys are gonna love him. He can be a drag but he ain't such a bad guy...ok, he'll look like a douche but he'll get better. (No it's not an OC) And don't worry, Naruto isn't going anyway.  
><em>

__Also, there are still unresolved problems from the previous arc so look forward to those. I.e Naruto and Sakura's past. __[Working with a few bugs in the story] I want everything from the past and present to mesh together without any problems._  
><em>__


	20. Divided We Fall

_A/N: Sorry that I took so long to post this chapter. I've been under the weather lately. Also, you might want to play awesome car chase/fight music in the background while you read this. It sure helped me with writing it~  
><em>

* * *

><p>~0~0~0~<p>

_United We Stand, Divided We Fall_

~0~0~0~

* * *

><p>Tiny droplets escaped her eyes and fell onto the concrete below. How long had she left the boys behind? She did not know. All she did know was that she ran as fast as she could with Ino, Ren and Mizura at her side. As if everything wasn't already bad enough, her pink haired friend managed to elude her somehow. She mysteriously disappeared from the moment the thugs attacked.<p>

Naruto was _so_ going to kill her.

She was lost – lost in thought and lost at what she could possibly do to. Should she call for help? She was more than sure that someone had already alerted the police.

Should she go back and help? What could she do against an army of thugs? _Well at least it's a better idea than grabbing the girls and running off like a coward. _

She suddenly found herself staring into space. She shook her head and quickly returned her gaze to the road ahead._ Why am I even thinking about this? They told me to run! I'm doing what they told me but- Gah! Someone just stop this insistent feeling! _Tenten squeezed her eyes shut.

If she continued to think about it this much, she would have to cut off circulation to her brain. She couldn't help but imagine the boy's beaten bodies on the cold dark floor in desperate need of assistance. Neji and Rock Lee always had her back before, but now that they needed help, where was she?

_Enough, _she thought,_ I've had enough of this!_

"I want you guys to do something for me."

~0~0~0~

The onyx black bike sped down the crowded streets of Konoha, a horrifying cold wind carrying the light drizzling rain as it passed. The teenage driver, who had very little experience tearing down the streets at such a high velocity, drove as though his life depended on it. Sasuke had made no immediate progress with catching up to _his_ car. If Sasuke were to calculate he'd say they were roughly 10 seconds apart.

If only he were faster, he would have dealt the final blow and be rid of that menace before he had the chance to taint anyone ever again. Sasuke felt like such a fool for letting that man sink his teeth into his very being. It made him sick to his stomach.

"_I can give you power. I can give your vengeance." He grinned. "All you have to do is pledge your allegiance to me and we can begin." _

"_Will you really help -me find my parent's killer?" Sasuke asked, weary of the man who had approached him._

"_Of course. I swear that I will do everything in my power to help you," his smirk fell into a serious scowl "but if I make a sincere promise, such as this, you have to make one for me as well." _

"_Why do I have to do anything like that?" _

"_How do you children say it now-a-days? I scratch your back, you scratch mine." _

"_Like a trade? Fine." Sasuke scoffed "What do you want?" _

_He grinned. "You."_

"Seems like I'm not the only reckless driver out tonight." The roar of a similar engine knocked Sasuke out of his distant memory. Sasuke casually looked into the rear-view mirror finding the source of the noise.

It was a cherry red sports bike, which sped down the road, catching up to him. He looked to the road, and for a split second peered into mirror again to find that the bike was only a few feet behind.

"He came prepared."

Sasuke pulled tighter the handle bar, speeding up with a jolt. The bike sped dangerously across the road, causing Sasuke to feel slightly nauseous and nervous. _He_ had driven straight onto the highway and Sasuke blindly followed onto the _wrong _side of the highway. Sasuke sped straight into oncoming traffic.

While _He_ traveled in a straight line, Sasuke was forced to swerve and maneuver around the cars that came at him. As if that wasn't problematic enough for him, _He_ took the first road on the right which was an exit off the highway. Sasuke would lose him if he didn't do something quickly.

Just then, a wooden blockade leading to the lower part of the highway come into view. Sasuke noticed that there was a rather large truck behind _His_ car. Sasuke grinned as he sped up towards the blockade.

* * *

><p>"Neji! Guys! Are you ok?" Tenten's voice rang from the other side of the bar. She hopped on to someone's shoulder and ran amongst the top of the crowd's head and shoulders rushing to the injured teen.<p>

"What are you doing back here?" Neji yelled.

"I thought I told you to get out of here!"

"Yeah, well, I just couldn't leave you guys here." Tenten dusted the splinters and dust that covered the boys' shirts while she tried to get Kiba on his feet. In that instant, she sensed immediate danger coming behind her.

"I'll give you 5 seconds to turn around and walk away!" Tenten ordered as the man inched towards her.

"I rather you not touch her," Neji glared hatefully at the man who dared to lay his hands on Tenten.

It all happened so fast that Tenten had a hard time keeping up. The man had reached for her but Neji blocked his hand. Feeling challenged, the boy charged for Neji, swinging his right arm at his head but Neji quickly retaliated by blocking with his left arm. The boy ducked down and swept Neji's legs but unfortunately for him, in a fraction of second Neji maneuvered his arms through the air and smashed it into his face causing the boy to grind against the wooden floor.

"Since you're here…any bright ideas?" Shikamaru asked.

"Kick them in the shins?" Tenten replied with a nervous grin.

"I…really don't think that's going to work."

"Incoming!"

The warning gave them barely enough time. Another unknown figure came flying through the air and crashed into the surrounding boys giving them the distraction they needed. When Tenten turned, she noticed Kiba wave to her shortly before turning back to face the crowd.

"We haven't lost this fight yet!" He shouted.

Neji took a deep breath and rushed over to the crowd, stopping a few inches from one of the boys bringing his arms back and in one swift movement he pushed them together on a boy's chest launching him and his friends behind him a few inches back.

"Go!" He shouted as Tenten ran passed him, on to the boys and over the bar counter where she picked up what she needed. Without second thought, she threw the projectiles she just picked up sticking them in the boy's faces. As he heard them scream out in pain, Neji silently took them down one by one from the back.

"Stop crying; be happy they were only forks."

* * *

><p>The roar of his engine had never been louder or faster than when his tires left the asphalt. Sasuke kept his cool as the bike broke through the wooden blocked launching off the edge of the highway. His eyes glanced downwards looking to the truck that was directly underneath.<p>

The wind that rushed up against him came to an abrupt ending as the bike bounced from the landing. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep control of the bike. He was moments from falling off but he slammed his foot down in an instant maintaining his balance.

Sasuke gave a long sigh of relief before he kicked his feet up and drove off the truck in hot pursuit of the black Lexus. Again, the rough landing on the asphalt made him cringe but he kept his focus and sped up. By now they had returned to the city where the streets were littered with vehicles and pedestrians.

_He_ wasn't so foolish as to lead Sasuke to his hideout. It had been more than obvious that he was making circles around the city until Sasuke eventually gave up…or died. Knowing _him_ it was probably the latter.

"_Me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke was taken aback._

"_I suppose you can say that I'm very interested in you." _

"_Get away from me you sick pervert." Sasuke turned to walk away. _

"_Don't misunderstand my intentions." He chuckled "I'm giving you the chance of a life time to gain the vengeance you so rightfully deserve, are you really going to walk away from this?" _

_Sasuke kept walking. _

"_I'm a trainer, Sasuke-kun. I will provide you with the skills and abilities you need to track down the killer but as compensation I want you to work for me." _

"_So I'm going to be your lackey?"_

"_No, an apprentice. I'll allow you to walk the path that you brother refuses to take you down. You'll be the Avenger you always wanted to be." _

_Sasuke stopped. _

"_All you have to do is shake my hand." _

_Sasuke turned to his outstretched hand. It was an offer of a life time. Itachi refused to teach him anything after their parents death, thinking that Sasuke would have done something unforgivable with what he learned. This was his chance. _

_Sasuke hesitated, but eventually shook his hand. _

_Little did Sasuke know that he was walking into his trap. _

Rather than feel sorry for himself, Sasuke focused on the task at hand. He was gaining on the Lexus. It was time to clean that stain on his life.

* * *

><p>"No…"<p>

She couldn't believe it…

_We…lost._

Tenten felt a deep-seated hatred for her own uselessness. She couldn't do anything for the boys, despite returning to help. She could only watch helplessly as the boys were taken down one by one. Shikamaru and Kiba soon disappeared from her sight as they were lost in the crowd leaving Neji to be the last one standing (besides her). Tried as he might, the situation grew grimmer by the second.

In a matter of seconds, Neji was swarmed by thugs and disappeared as well. She couldn't allow anymore of her friends to fall, especially Neji. She disengaged from the thugs she was occupied with and rushed to his side. She pushed, threw punches, ducked, slid under but it was all in vain as she was tackled to the ground. Her captives didn't seem to care whether she was a female or not; they punched, kicked and trampled over her regardless.

"TENTEN!" From the crowd she heard Neji cried out after hearing her screams of agonizing pain.

"Leave her alone!" Neji was sent into a fit of rage that had finally blown over. He tore through the crowd at a blinding pace, knocking down whomever he could. But still…it wasn't enough. The moment he laid eyes on Tenten's bloody body he was caught off guard by a bat that struck the back of his neck.

"Shut up!"

"Neji!" Tenten managed to voice. Her entire body ached and her skin had seen better days. Blood trickled down her forehead and she was covered in bruises. She couldn't tell whether her bones were fractured or broken. But that was the least of her concerns. Neji was unconscious and bleeding uncontrollably.

_It's…hopeless. If only…if only Naruto was here…_

"Naruto…where are you?"

"Stop muttering nonsense! This is all your fault you know!" The boy spat on her "If you hadn't come back, we would have just left your friends alone but you just had to get them all fired up."

…_what? No...  
><em>

"Some friend you are." The boy smirked as he stepped on her again.

_This was all my fault...my fault..._

"Time to end this." His voice became a cold whisper.

Tenten slowly looked up and her body froze. Her heart sank and her breathing came to a complete and utter halt. He lifted a blood stained bat above his head with full intention of smashing it into hers. Her chances of surviving a blow like that were practically non-existent. She couldn't move, her broken limbs wouldn't allow it. Even if she could, she was too paralyzed from fear to even think clearly.

There was no one who could have possibly saved her. The boys weren't going to get up anytime soon and she sent the girls away. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were nowhere to be found. There was no backup, no plan…nothing.

Without wasting anymore time…

He swung it down.

* * *

><p><em>He<em> swung the steering wheel and quickly turned it to his right, swerving the car into the bike. Amazingly, Sasuke was able to slam his fingers on the brakes allowing the car to swerve passed him into the concrete wall. But that hadn't stopped the car one bit. It grinned along the wall, sparks abound, until it was able to steer away.

As they raced down the city streets, Sasuke noticed that the Lexus was closing the distance between them once again. But this time he did it very cautiously._ Why? _

By the time Sasuke noticed, there was barely any time to respond. A black sedan was speeding down the street on a collision course with him. At this point, holding brakes wouldn't make a difference. _He_ sandwiched Sasuke. If _He_ maintained his speed, _he_ would have avoided the collision with minimal damage. Sasuke, on the hand…

_Damn it all!_

Out of the blue, the cherry red bike zoomed past Sasuke with an orange colored flame coming from the exhaust pipe. NOS2? (Nitro) It tore down the intersection fast enough to alert the black Sedan driver who slammed his foot down on the brakes. This gave Sasuke enough leeway to slip between the two cars unscathed.

_Safe…for now._

But that was the least of Sasuke's problems. He began to glance around, hoping that he had no more unexpected guests. Rather, he got a figurative slap across the face for thinking things couldn't be worse than they already were. Sasuke spotted a large patrol of white cars with flashing lights above the roofs.

"Shit."

In only a matter of seconds, Sasuke had lost count of how many corners he had taken. He hoped to eventually lose them, but it just didn't seem possible. He always thought that Itachi's lackey's were complete dunderheads. It seemed that Itachi actually did something right when he hired them. They were relentless. Sasuke literally bumped into them at every turn.

But he wasn't going to give in, even if Sasuke lost sight of the Lexus. Sasuke kept roaming his eyes around, looking for a way for him to escape.

Just then, from behind, a car made a jerk forward, knocking into Sasuke causing the bike to increase speed. Sasuke looked back, seeing the deranged policemen inches away from behind.

They were going to wreck him if he wasn't careful. Again, as if on cue, the red biker pulled up besides Sasuke motioning him to follow him. Sasuke was extremely weary of the driver. Even if he did help him with his little stunt, the chances that he was one of _his _henchmen was very high.

_Bam. _The police rammed Sasuke once more. _This left him with little choice, didn't it?_

The driver immediately made a hectic 180 turn, grinding his foot against the asphalt and with a sharp boost of speed went head to head with the police. Sasuke hesitantly followed suit. The two barely managed to squeeze in between a few cars, bumping and grinding against a few before they slipped out into an alleyway. Once they were free of the alleyway, there was a long straight leading the two to the outskirts of the city.

"Train!" The biker shouted.

Not too far ahead was a train track, in which a train sped across. Sasuke, the biker even the police (that miraculously appeared) sped down their paths, as they came closer and closer to the intersection. He glanced over his shoulder, the biker behind, and then faced the road once more.

"This is going to be close." Sasuke began as they came nearer to the track, keeping a consistent speed.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?"<p>

"That's my line," A rather womanly voice remarked.

Tenten had long closed her eyes waiting for her sudden demise. Wondering why she was still breathing, she slowly opened her eyes and was amazed.

A fairly tall light-skinned woman with light brown eyes and straight blonde hair appeared. Her hair was waist-length with shoulder-length bangs framing both sides of her face tied into two loose ponytails. She had an unmistakable violet rhombus mark on her forehead, which lead Tenten to believe it could only be one person.

"Principal Tsunade!"

Tsunade keep an impassive expression while he maintained her firm grip on the steel bat. "I'll ask just once. What the hell do you think you're doing with my cute students?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"None of your business, punk."

"Listen here you old bitch-"

The boy was not sure exactly what happened, but he felt like his face had literally imploded on itself. While he rolled on the floor, screaming out in pain, he wondered just what had happened to him. That was when he realized that the woman had broken his entire face with just one punch.

"Who the hell are you calling old?" She stomped down on his stomach. "That goes for the rest of you too! Lay one more hand on the kids I'll make it so that none of you punks can wake up _for a month_!"

The boys shrank back. Tsunade didn't give them a second glance as she kneeled down, inspecting Tenten's wounds. Tenten couldn't express how happy she was that Tsunade had come just in the nick of time. But one thought crossed her mind in that instant.

"Principal Tsunade, what are you doing here?"

"Out of the blue, Sakura rushes into my house screaming that everyone was in trouble," Tsunade took a rag from her pocket and wiped the trail of blood off Tenten's body, "After I called the police, I figured I'd drop by and see what I could do."

"I've never been gladder to see a person in my life…"

"Don't be so happy and thankful just yet," Tsunade smiled brightly, but then, her face became dark and intimidating "You still have to explain what you're doing here in the first place."

"…yes." Tenten didn't know how else to answer that.

From the corner of her eye, Tenten saw three boys sneaking up behind Tsunade. Before she could even warn her, Tsunade stretched her leg out sweeping the first boy off his feet. He fell forward unable to keep his balance, but Tsunade wouldn't allow it. She grabbed his face and slammed it harshly on the floor. He couldn't even cry out in pain before Tsunade twirled around and threw him into his two friends.

"I'll warn you now, after what you did to my students, I'm not afraid to break _every single_ bone in your bodies." Tsunade cracked her fingers then motioned for the thugs to come at her.

* * *

><p>It seemed as though they were about to crash. From behind, Sasuke heard a piercing scream as he sped towards the track. The police had given up and held their brakes, smashing into one another creating a small pile up.<p>

Sasuke ignored their cries and sped across the track. Time slowed as Sasuke shifted his weight down for less-wind resistance, giving him firmer control of the bike as well a tiny speed boost.

Finally the moment of truth came; the train came directly into Sasuke's view. And in the next instant, Sasuke feel a great gust of wind from his back that almost causing him to lose his balance. He had missed the train by mere inches, maybe even centimeters.

Sasuke shot a glance backwards to see how the biker made it out...unfortunately, Sasuke saw nothing and assumed he didn't make it out so well.

Sasuke drove around for minutes in search of a black Lexus. Nothing turned up. That was until he got a text message stating that He was near the Konoha Bridge. Sasuke didn't bother looking at who sent him the message he just drove, pushing his machine to the limit. When Sasuke arrived, he smirked as he had finally foundthe Black Lexus.

Luckily for Sasuke, a ship was approaching the bridge forcing it to slowly split apart. Sasuke had him right where he wanted him. But rather then hear a receding engine, the engine of the Lexus roared loudly as _He _climbed the slowly steepening road.

"I don't believe this…!" Sasuke gritted his teeth as he pulled back on the handle and sped after him. He was not going to let him go again!

Sasuke ignored the cry of his machine as he began his accent. The Lexus on the other hand seemed fine. But when Sasuke thought things couldn't be possibly worse, a green colored flame escaped the exhaust pipe (NOS) which allowed him to jump across to the other end.

Sasuke screamed loudly as he forced his machine to its limit, and before he knew it he was in midair. But the strangest thing had occurred; his bike was the only thing that made it to the other side while he floated in midair.

_What…?_

* * *

><p>"Alright, who are the ones playing rough with my students?"<p>

A semi-masked man, with hair that closely resembled the falling snow casually walked into the club. He wore a black T-shirt with white stripes in the middle of the sleeves. On his arms he wore black sleeves. He also wore pants similar in color to his shirt.

"Seems like we were late, Kakashi." This man had brown eyes, short, black spiky hair and beard. His clothing consisted of a simple long sleeved shirt with bandages on the arms, pants that sash and a jacket with a fur collar.

He took a short look around and noticed that the entire club floor was littered with delinquents and thugs. Amongst them only one person sat on a chair sipping a rather large glass of wine in her hands.

"What took you so long?" Tsunade's response was slightly slurred, showing that she was slightly drunk.

"Figures that she'd be drunk now of all times," Another man entered after the second. This man had black hair (that he keeps in a ponytail, dark eyes and a scar across the bridge of his nose which he has had since his youth. He wore an average outfit that consisted of a black shirt, covered by a green jacket, black pants and sandals.

"Shut up Iruka!" Tsunade shouted.

"Well the police aren't coming anytime soon." Kakashi sighed "There was something about a car chase happening on the other end of the city."

"Before any of that, are you kids alright?" Asuma asked, walking up to Tenten and the others who looked like they had it rough.

"I'll be okay but the boys won't." After Tsunade's brilliant arrival, she took on the entire army of thugs and came out on top, She delivered a harsh beat down to most of the thugs before the others took the hint and ran off into the night. To do what the four of them couldn't, she must have been a world class fighter.

"Neji took a hard hit to the back, Kiba's got a broken arm and Shikamaru fractured his wrist and leg."

"This is nothing!" Kiba declared.

"It's only a minor bruise." Neji claimed, keeping his ever present calmness.

"Where are Ino and Sakura? I told you to run with them." Shikamaru asked.

Tenten didn't know how to answer that. She told Ino to get away as fast as she could while she would look for help. Instead, she ran straight for the boys.

"Well…I…"

"Are you guys alright?" A voice Tenten least expected to hear rang from the front door. Ino was covered in sweat and looked like she could have fainted at any moment. She must have ran back. Tenten could finally breathe a sigh of relief because Ino wasn't alone.

"Thank goodness, I got to the Principal just in time." Sakura huffed.

"Kiba! Are you okay?" Mizura rushed to Kiba to inspect his wounds.

Ren cautious stood near Sakura (since she was the only person she knew there). Karin had rushed off ahead when the girls turned back saying that if Sasuke was gone, she didn't need a reason to return.

When Sakura regained her composure she took a glance to the club floor. "What happened? It looks like a bull went on a rampage in here."

"How rude! I admit that I throw my fist harder than any man but I'm no bull!" Tsunade snapped.

"What? You did this? But…but how?"

"Let's just say I know how to defend myself." Tsunade gingerly sipped her wine.

"I'll say…" Tenten laughed nervously.

"If you didn't know about her combat abilities, why did you go to the Principal in the first place?" Shikamaru found that strange.

"I…really don't know." Sakura found herself scratching her head. Something about running to Tsunade's house seemed awfully strange. "Somewhere in my head I thought she was the only one who could help, but I had no idea that she was a fighter."

Or did she?

"I'm no fighter." She huffed pointing over to Kiba who had his arm bandaged with his own torn shirt. "I'm usually the one cleaning up the messes afterwards."

"You're a…doctor?" Sakura's eyes widened. Just then, the gears began to turn in her head followed by an intense surge of pain. "Aunt…Tsunade?"

The tint of red that covered Tsunade's face vanished in an instance as she whipped her head to Sakura, "You…you remember?"

Sakura saw only foggy fragments of her memories that only grew foggier the more she thought.

"I...used to see you everyday at my parents hospital. You used to work with them…" Sakura gripped her head roughly, fighting back the pain to the best of her abilities. "My head…"

"Stop it. You'll only make it worse." Tsunade walked over to Sakura, patting her on the head.

"Just...who are you?"

"We'll talk later, Sakura...but first..." Tsunade turned her head looked around "Where did that blonde idiot run off too?"

"Off on another adventure I take it." Kakashi sighed deeply "First he interrupts my Icha-icha reading time with obnoxious shouting, then when I finally understand what the little miscreant was saying I rushed here as quickly as possible."

"It was the same here for me," Asuma took a long puff of his cigarette "Geez, I wonder what was so important that he'd leave his friends like that."

"It doesn't sound like him at all if you asked me," Iruka rubbed his chin.

"Huh? Do all of you know Naruto?" Sakura's question would go unanswered as all the adults refused to utter a word on the subject.

What was going on?

* * *

><p>Sasuke whipped his head around noticing that the bike rider had a firm his shirt. That must have been way his bike shot forward without him. <em>But why!<em>

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke fumed. This man had denied him what was rightfully his! He had been waiting for this moment for three long years!But now the chance had been lost!

The rider didn't respond but looked to the other side of the bridge where Sasuke's bike made contact with the rising end of the bridge. On impulse, the rider instinctively grabbed the edge of the road and pulled Sasuke back covering him from the red hot flames that erupted when his bike made contact with the ledge.

"Damn…that was close." The biker muttered. He wanted to wait until the bridge began to recede before he let go. Otherwise, they'd break something on the way down.

"Let go of me you bastard!" But Sasuke was stubborn.

Because of his struggling, he freed himself from the riders grip. But that only complicated things because he removed the only thing keeping him up. The rider tried to grab a hold of him once more but only joined him as the two uncontrollably rolled down the bridge.

Once at the bottom, Sasuke ignored his injuries and grabbed the rider. "I would have made that jump. Why did you stop me?"

"Look at what happened to your bike! The same would have happened to you, idiot!"

"…that voice…" Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he practically tore the helmet off the rider's head. "…of course it would be you."

"Who else would try to save your troublesome ass?" The blonde sighed.

"I had him Naruto. You should have just stayed out of this." Sasuke clicked his teeth and turned away.

"…look, I saved your life more times tonight than I can count. If I stayed out you'd be dead and you know it."

"Whatever."

"Don't whatever me! This always happens to you whenever _He_ is concerned! You get so blinded by rage you forget everything around you!" Naruto roared. Sasuke paid him no mind as he made sure that he had no injuries.

"Do you even know what happened to everyone after you charged for the goons?" Naruto grinded his teeth together in anger.

"None of my concern."

"Oh yeah? What about Ren and Karin?" Sasuke's eyes widened for only a moment before he regained his composure.

Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn't as heartless as he let on. He may have been cold and cruel sometimes but never heartless. Naruto thought of it as a defense mechanism. A fail safe to keep people from getting too close to him. A fear of losing anyone important to him.

Sasuke usually avoided talking to Naruto about his feelings, but when he did, they would always be bitter and resentful. To Naruto, he didn't need to say a word. He knew how Sasuke felt. The long years they spent together made it easier for Naruto to understand him.

With one look Naruto believed that Sasuke was regretful. A deep self-disgust for leaving people he was responsible for behind.

Naruto slammed his eyelids shut, forcibly swallowed his anger and spoke calmly. "I called in some help before you left. For your sake and mine, I hope they got there just in time."

As if the sky could sense the boys' melancholic moods, the sky that had long grown dark let loose a heavy drizzle. A bitter smile tugged at Naruto's cheeks. He wondered if God himself had done it to suit the mood. The wailing sirens in the distance quickly brought Naruto back to his senses.

"We need to go."

The dark-haired boy wordlessly slipped into a alley and Naruto quickly followed suit. "And Sasuke…" He notched his head towards Naruto "Don't _ever_ make me choose between you and the others again."

Sasuke peered into Naruto's stern eyes for a moment before he began walking again.

"You won't have to."


	21. My Master

_A/N: _It's here to show you a bit of Sasuke's home life and more about his relationships with those around him._  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>~0~0~0~<em>

_My Master_

_~0~0~0~_

* * *

><p>The sunlight peeked in from the windows. It was becoming brighter by the second. The raven haired boy groaned uncomfortably before he hid his head under his pillow. Before he could slip back into the dream world, he heard the faintest sound of his door knob being turned.<p>

Just as he thought, someone slowly opened the door to his room.

_Step…step…_

They slowly, carefully stepped inside. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could have seen a small shadow creeping up to his bed.

He knew today of all days would be the most dangerous, so he secretly concealed a weapon under his blanket before he went to bed the night before. First, he made sure it was within his reach. Now all he had to do was wait for the right moment to strike.

"Heh heh…" He heard the assailant chuckle darkly.

"Look at him, sleeping so soundly. Unaware of what's happening around him." The intruder muttered.

"Suffer from your own misfortune!" The intruder sounded like a villain from a cheesy movie. The assailant then unleashed its devastating special attack, a heavy drop kick.

"Haiyaaaaahhh!"

CLANK!

"What?"

The pot lid that Sasuke had hidden beneath his sheets blocked the intruder's deadly blow.

"You're so predictable, Ren." He yawned lazily, getting up from his bed.

"Grrr."

She glared at him, while he stared back impassively.

"You seemed overly excited when you watched that ninja movie last night. During the scene where the hero was attacked in his sleep, I saw you grinning at me."

"Damn! I've been found out!"

Like the cheesy ninja movie, she leaped back and threw a white ball against the floor. _Poof!_ In an instant, a cloud of white smoke billowed out.

"Hohoho! Farewell!" She chuckled before she made her grand exit.

"A smoke bomb?" Sasuke coughed "Troublesome woman."

* * *

><p>"Sasuke-sama is such a meanie." Ren moaned from her down position on the kitchen chair.<p>

"Is your foot okay?" His speech was full of comfort and concern, unlike _someone_ she knew. "I heard the clank from all the way over here."

Being brothers, Itachi and Sasuke had a similar appearance (with totally different personalities!) but with subtle differences, so much so that Ren nearly mistook Itachi for Sasuke when they first met. While he was in the house, his clothes would consist of a black Uchiha shirt with a large Uchiha clan symbol on the back, and black pants

Itachi Uchiha had dark eyes, black hair that hung near his cheeks to frame his face and kept the rest of it in a ponytail. Itachi's most distinguishing characteristics were the long pronounced tear troughs under his eyes; a physical trait he inherited from his father.

Despite his status as the infamous Chief of Police, his appearance was not intimidating, apart from the intensity of his gaze at times. To Ren, he would always have a gentle and caring look in his eyes that would always melt her heart. But those eyes belonged to only a few, mainly his younger brother who always looked at him with such distain.

Ren could never figure out why. Itachi acted like any other loving brother would, but Sasuke was…horrible to him. And yet Itachi would go on to try to make Sasuke as happy as possible. She just didn't get it.

"Its fine, I think. I have some ice on it so it doesn't swell at least." Ren replied with a sigh. This was one in a long line of failures. Each and every day she thought up new and exciting ways to wake Sasuke up since the normal way began to lose its effect on him pretty quickly.

"I could always call a friend of mine to give you a check up." Itachi offered, picking his phone up.

"No, no. I couldn't trouble you anymore than I already have." Ren politely declined. "Thanks for the bomb though. I avoided his 'scolding' thanks to that."

"Glad I could help." He smiled, and then it fell to a frown then back to a smile. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Oh…" Sasuke appeared, looking less pleased by the second. "You're still here."

"That I am." Itachi replied with a smile despite Sasuke's cold attitude.

"So you're the one responsible for Ren's little toy from earlier."

"Don't scold her too hard this time. I'm the one who told her to do it."

"Are you some kind of sadist who gets off other people's discomfort on a morning?"

"Guilty." He joked.

"Of that and so much more…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Sasuke-sama…!" Sasuke ignored her call and walked past the table to the coffee machine.

Before Ren could get another word in, she immediately caught an eye of Itachi covering his lips with his index finger. He was always like this; never saying anything to Sasuke's rude behavior. He just sat there and took it all. He closed his eyes momentarily and got up from his chair.

"I hadn't seen Ren in a while and she seemed bored. So I decided to entertain her for a bit before I left for work. Now that you're here, you take over for me."

"Don't just drop off your unwanteds on me." Sasuke scoffed.

"Hey!"

Itachi ignored Sasuke's comment and headed for his room to change his outfit. "Since you two are alone, don't have _too_ much fun while I'm gone."

"Master Itachi…!" Ren colored red. He chuckled. He did enjoy teasing her like that.

He of all people should have known that she didn't feel that way about Sasuke. He was a cruel, heartless monster (!) but Itachi on the other hand was a godsend. Itachi wouldn't leave her in a bar filled with thugs. Itachi wouldn't physically and verbally abuse her for doing her job.

No _Master_ would treat their maid that way.

She had been Sasuke's personal maid for years, putting up with his harsh behavior and cold personality. Not _once_ had she thought of him as her master. He didn't deserve it. The only thing that was worth the stress she had to go on a daily basis was her mother.

Akina Tachibana was a woman of misfortune (so to speak). After falling in love with a man from Konoha, she left her home country to be with him. Things had been tough, especially with a blooming baby girl (Namely herself) but they were happy. Everything seemed to fall apart years after Ren was born.

Her father was killed in a gang shooting and her mother gave into a strange illness as a result. Despite all this, her mother kept working hard to provide for the family she had left. Being from the lightning country, she couldn't hold a job. Apparently there was bad blood between Konoha and her home country.

It wasn't only her mother. Because of her skin tone she was bullied at school. But she couldn't care less about that.

Everything seemed bleak for a time, but that was until Itachi Uchiha appeared. He knew of their situation and decided to help with what he could. He gave them both a job as his maids, paid for her mother's medication and paid for Ren's schooling (despite her protests). She owed Itachi a lot. It was why she had a hard time dealing with Sasuke, who _loathed_ her savior.

Itachi return shortly afterwards and with a smile he waved Ren goodbye. "I'm off."

"Come home safe." Ren returned his smile.

"I will."

And like that, he was gone.

"You're a _monster_." Ren immediately fumed.

"What are you on about now?" He answered, barely paying her any mind while he fiddled with his morning coffee. The only thing he didn't want her making for him (for whatever reason).

"The way you treat Itachi!"

"What of it?"

"He's your brother for god sakes!"

"That man is _no_ brother of mine!" Sasuke roared. Ren cringed in surprise.

"Stay out of matters that don't concern you. You're here to clean. Stick to your job."

When Sasuke turned to face her, he expected a face filled with anger and annoyance (like always) but what he did see surprised him to no end.

"Why are you acting like this…? You're horrible." Instead, he saw grief and sorrow. Why was _she_ of all people sad? By now she'd give some witty response and walk away with anger.

"I thought you'd changed from that hollow of a child you were before." Ren's eyes bore holes into Sasuke's. "But I guess I was wrong. You haven't changed. I thought you'd grown up since you were surrounded by so many people. I assumed that they were all your friends. But I guess I was wrong about that too."

"You don't care about anyone but yourself! You're just going to sit in your room all alone hating the world around you until you die. You're just going to be that scared little boy for the rest of your life."

"All alone in that shell of self-pity."

At that moment, Ren immediately regretted what she said. An intense chill ran up her spine as Sasuke wore an indescribable expression of anger on his face as slowly trotted over to her. Gathering all the strength from her paralyzed limbs, Ren began to move backwards towards the wall until she couldn't move anymore.

She found something extremely peculiar about him. It wasn't his face or the fact that he was in an extreme fit of rage. What truly shocked her…were his _eyes_. They had turned from dark-onyx to a _dark-blood red_. Sasuke's face was only but a few inches from hers as he began to speak.

"_Look here,_ _woman. I don't know who the fuck you think you are but don't you dare act like that to your __**Master**__. As far as I'm concerned, I __**own**__ you. Unless you want to be back on those streets like a beggared, I suggest you get your damn act in order." _

"_You think I care? Do you think for one moment that I care about what you think of me? You're nothing more than a face I'm __**forced**__ to see every morning. If you want to leave be my guest, but if not, shut the fuck up and know your place." _

Ren immediately looked away, unable to bare eye contact with him any longer. If she didn't feel it herself, she wouldn't believe that she was crying.

Sasuke didn't stay long. He clicked his teeth and turned away. Before he disappeared into his room, he cringed for a moment, holding his left eye as he winced in pain.

* * *

><p>"<em>Is that the daughter you've been boasting about?" Itachi smiled pointing to the little girl, who looked no older than ten, that shyly hid behind her mother. She was the spitting image of Akina, onyx-purple eyes and long dark hair.<em>

"_Hai. This is my lovely daughter, Ren." _

_Ren offered a small smile before she cowered back behind her mother. _

"_Don't mind her. She is always shy to strangers but when she opens up, she be a handful." She lightly patted her daughter on the head._

"_Go on Sasuke, say hi to Ren." The little boy next to Itachi didn't budge. He only stared blankly off into the distance paying no one any mind. He looked like he didn't want to be there. _

"_Go on." Akina tapped her daughter's shoulders lightly. _

"_Um…Hi," Ren waved behind her mother but there was still no response. _

"_I'm sorry about Sasuke. You see, quite recently there was a fire at the Uchiha mansion and…our parents didn't make it out." _

"_Oh my, you poor dears! I'm so sorry about your loss." _

"_Its quite alright. It's just that Sasuke hasn't been the same since then. So please excuse his behavior." _

"_Of course." _

"_To be honest, I think he really needs a friend right now and I think Ren would be the perfect one for him." _

"_I couldn't agree more." _

_While her mother and the man talked, Ren couldn't take her eyes off the boy. He looked so lonely and sad. Ren didn't like talking to strangers but that boy was a lot like her when her father died. She figured that she could at least try to cheer him up. No one liked being alone after all. _

"_Now come on in so we can discuss our arrangements." Itachi let them inside the apartment, but before Ren could enter, Itachi kneeled beside her and with a whisper he spoke. "Ren, I know that Sasuke may look hard to approach, and he probably is. But if anyone can be his friend, it's definitely you." _

"_So no matter how much of a fight he puts up, will you promise me to always stay his friend?" _

_Ren nodded vigorously. "Good. I asked this of another boy about your age. One day I'll introduce you two. You three have more in common than you think." _

_Itachi stood up, giving her mother a slow nod as they made their way into the house. The house was much larger than an average house. It's like they were rich. The adults made their way to the kitchen and left the kids to watch TV in the living room._

_For some reason Sasuke could feel like he was being watched. He turned to the side, noticing that Ren had been staring at him from the corner of her eye. Sasuke paid her no mind. Only when she did it over the next hour did Sasuke become irate. _

"_What?" Sasuke asked not taking his eyes off the T.V._

"_So ummm what do you do for fun?" He didn't answer. He refused answer any of her questions for the rest of the day so she gave up._

_The next time she was over for a visit, Sasuke was in the living room just staring out the window. Ren didn't say anything to him that day. He looked like he wanted to be alone. _

_Over the next few weeks things were the same. She had made no progress with Sasuke and he seemed to be getting worse. He only responded to the sound of Itachi's voice. That was what she thought until Sasuke walked up to her. _

"_Why are you here?" _

"_Huh?" _

"_I'll ask again. Why are you here? What are you doing here?" _

"_Well my mom is in charge of the house when your brother isn't here so-"_

"_That's just it. Your mom has a reason for being here. You don't." Sasuke glared at her not with cold eyes that had not seen any warmth, but with empty eyes that did not want to feel any warmth. It frightened her. _

"_Well I…I…"_

"_She does have a reason for being here Sasuke." Itachi claimed from the other side of the room."I hired her mother with a few conditions. One of those were that Ren would be your…personal maid. Yes, that's it." _

"_Personal maid?" Sasuke looked up to his brother. "What's that?" _

"_She's there to keep you company and make sure you're happy ."_

"_I don't need friends." Sasuke saw through his plan in an instant. Itachi was surprised. _

"_Not a friend. She's too young at the moment but when she gets older she'll be there to make sure you eat your meals, get up early for school, etcetera. Like any other maid." _

"_You sure you aren't trying to trick me?"_

"_I'm sure." Sorry Sasuke. _

"_Fine." Sasuke looked to her "What was your name again?" _

"_Tachibana, Tachibana Ren." _

"_Whatever. From now on you're my slave." Sasuke smirked._

"_What?"_

"…_that's not what a personal maid is Sasuke…" Itachi could feel beads of sweat form down his head._

"_But doesn't being my maid mean that I own her?" _

"_No no Sasuke. Ren is person, not an object. You can't own people." Itachi appeared._

"_Onii-chan?" _

"_Ren is a friend who is here to help you out with things you might need. Okay?" Itachi patted him on the head. _

"_But she's a girl. She can't help me with anything!" _

"_Hey! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't do anything!" _

"_Does so."_

"_Does not!" _

"_Does so!"_

"_Nuh uh!" _

"_Uh huh!"_

_Itachi just laughed. _

_~0~0~0~_

"_Sasuke you jerk!" _

"_Huh?"_

"_You saw what those guys were doing to me! Why didn't you stop them?" Ren fumed._

"_That wasn't my problem."_

"_Of course it was! You're my friend!" _

"_So?"_

"_So act like a friend should and help me!" _

"_I thought you'd tell them off. I mean, you do it to me all the time." _

"_No I don't!" _

"…_you're doing it now." Sasuke sighed._

"_It's not the same thing!" _

_He cocked his head. "What's so different about it?" _

"_Ugh! Forget it."_

_The next time the bullies came up to her, they did what they did. It wasn't like she was expecting Sasuke, but she hoped that he would at least get the message. After they were done teasing her, she went home and immediately left for the Uchiha household to give Itachi a visit. _

_When she got there Sasuke was covered from head to toes in bruises. _

_He got the message._

* * *

><p>Ren opened her eyes, finding herself cradled on the same wall with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She hadn't moved in hours. Her cramped legs and arms were proof of that. She stretched as she got up wishing she hadn't fallen asleep in the first place. She didn't exactly want to remember when she and Sasuke first met anyway. It was only a reminder of how much of an emotionally deprived boy he was.<p>

Ren sighed deciding that she wouldn't mope around all day thinking about her so called _Master_. She had to admit that she was in the wrong for calling him a child like that but nothing was exactly _right_ about what he told her.

She did notice that Sasuke seemed...on edge these past few days. Ren wondered if his disappearance that night of the bar brawl had anything to do with it. When he came back, he didn't seem the same. _No..._he seemed more like himself from a few years back. She rememebered those years vividly. He acted as if he was a man on a mission.

Something must have happened to him recently. Something eventful. But even so! Even if he felt more tense than he usually did, it was still no reason to take out his pent up emotion and anger _on her_.

She decided to finish her job and leave.

Before she could find any of her cleaning equipment, a small white box on the kitchen table immediately caught her attention. Without much conscious thought, she picked it up and the words 'To the slave' came into view. Obviously it was for her. When she opened it, a large silver bracelet caught her attention.

_Figures_ she thought as she walked to Sasuke's room. She opened the door, without knocking, and found Sasuke on his bed, with his arm slung over his face. He opened his eyes and looked at her impassively. His eyes had returned to its natural black.

Ren considered that she was seeing things when his eyes actually changed color.

"I found your present."

"Mmm." He hummed, not really answering.

"It's a poor way of apologizing." Ren juggled the box in her hand before she threw it on his bed. "You know I hate it when you buy me stuff."

"Since when were you under the impression that I was apologizing?"

"Since you always do this when you blow your top."

"Don't misunderstand." He slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. He must have been napping for a while now. "I only did it to get your attention."

"My attention?"

"You're here, aren't you?" He paused. "If I did nothing, you'd have probably cleaned and left without a word."

Ren looked away shortly before she brought her gaze back to him. That was as good as any confirmation.

"Now that you're here, I'll say this once and for your own good you should understand."

"There are some things in this world that you must not, _under any exception_, ask about." Sasuke stared at her sternly "Understand?"

"Hai."

"My relationship with my brother is my own. It does not concern you. You may worship the ground he walks on but I do not. I hate him with every fiber of my being. You will have to understand that. Force yourself if you have to."

"But you used to-"

"That was then, this is now." Sasuke interrupted her.

"Your eyes."

"That falls under it as well; even more so."

"I understand." Ren sighed.

"Now that's dealt with. Your job for today has not ended so I expect you to return to your usual duties as my personal maid as of now." Sasuke laid flat down on the bed. "You may leave."

"Mmm," Ren thought about it for a minute. That was the closest to an apology she would ever get from him. She ran that line through her Sasuke Thought Translator and came up with: _I'm sorry. Don't leave, I still want you here._ She'd take it, but he still deserved something _special_ for making her cry.

"Sasuke-sama~" Ren sang.

"What?"

When Sasuke removed his arm, he was immediately taken aback. Ren had literally crawled onto his bed, hovering over his body. She smirked before she sat over his thighs, bringing her face only a few inches away from his.

"Wh-what are you planning?" Sasuke tried to maintain his poker face.

_Oh my. How cute. He's blushing._

Just then, Sasuke felt his cheeks become immeasurably red. Not from embarrassment, but from the stinging that was left over from Ren's repetitive slaps to his face.

"Ren!"

By that time, Ren had already scurried to the door with a triumphant smile on her face. "Divine retribution."

She couldn't understand him.

He would always drive her bat-shit crazy with his conflicting behavior and split personalities. At first, he'd be normal and talk with her like usual. Then treat her like she didn't matter to him in the least. But he'd always do something for her like no one else would.

Rather than dwell on what she meant to him or what he meant to her, she focused all her thought processes on the matter into one thing. This was something she was absolutely confident about. It was the sole idea:

"_I hate you Sasuke Uchiha." _

* * *

><p>The bright city lit up the night sky. The cool winds signaled the coming of winter.<p>

A lone figure stood upon the highest ledge looking down at the area he had spent the last few years of his life at. His dark onyx-purple eyes scanned the dark thugs and lowlifes that were fighting for their pride below.

It had been in this very city that he had awakened with no memory of his life. He was only seven when he woke up in an unfamiliar house but more so in an unfamiliar world. A world filled with hatred, pain and darkness. A world he thought he left behind a long time ago.

He had long since given up his days in the arena but strangely found himself returning as an onlooker on occasion. It was strange because he called himself a changed man – ever since meeting a certain blonde who made him realize the error of his ways.

The money wasn't his only drive for fighting. He enjoyed it - the thrill of the fight, the rush of adrenaline, the feel of absolute dominance when he was the victor. But that was all in the past.

After meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto Uzumaki, who broke him from his perpetual lust for power, he found a new meaning in life. He was grateful of their help, but he couldn't help but feel that something was…_missing_. After they _'saved' _him, he had always felt _empty. _

Maybe that was the reason he returned to this place; in a desperate attempt to fill that void.

"Yoshino Yuuji," a cold voice called from behind "I've been sent for you."

"Is that so?"

"My _associate_ has heard of your actions in the past and is very much interested in the abilities you possess."

"Don't care."

"Wouldn't you want the chance to become more powerful than you already are? If so then it would be in your best interest to in the very least meet with my associate."

"Not interested," Yuuji turned away from the arena, walking past the man who had appeared before him.

Now that Yuuji had a good look at him, he seemed vaguely familiar. He had onyx black eyes with shoulder long grey hair. He wore circular glasses, a dark purple shirt with a white undershirt and a white obi around his waist worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and pouch on the right side of his waist.

"We've been watching you for some time now, Mr. Yoshino. You come here often despite claiming to be a changed man. Is there something in your past that you cannot leave alone?" He paused, noticing that Yuuji stopped walking.

"Or is it that there is a yearning to return to _that place_ once again?"

Yuuji eyed the man carefully before he responded with a carefree grin, "How would a bonefide_ stalker_ know how I feel?"

"Because you are not the only one who feels this way, Mr. Yoshino. There are many others like you and my associate feels like it is his duty to unlock each and every one of those people's natural potential to its fullest."

"…what's the catch?"

"There is none. You have the freedom to do as you please within our organization, as long as it doesn't draw too much attention, of course."

"Why should I trust you?"

The man smiled.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Maybe some of you realized but this is a Filler chapter. Nothing too important happens here (except the ending section) but it's an addition to the ongoing story nonetheless. Everyone here **should** recognize the man who walked up to Yuuji. By the way, Yes I did get lazy with the flashbacks._


	22. Taka Rising

_A/N: Sorry for wait guys. Work has been rough and all but it feels good to have finished this chapter. Without further ado, Kamikaze!_

* * *

><p>~0~0~0~<p>

_Taka Rising_

_The Monster's Return_

~0~0~0~

* * *

><p>For one reason or the other, Sasuke (though still asleep) felt like he weighed much more than he normally should. He couldn't move his body and his chest felt completely restricted. It was becoming more and more difficult for him to breathe.<p>

_Am I paralyzed…? _

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he immediately knew what was causing his strange dilemma.

"Good morning."

Ren was sitting on his chest.

"You're heavy…"

"How rude! I'm not heavy! I'm as light as a feather!" She retorted lightly slapping his left cheek. "Are you awake now?"

"Get off…"

"I don't wanna."

Sasuke couldn't be bothered to struggle out. She had thought this hold through. Her legs and thighs were wrapped around his arms in such a way that would need a gorilla's power to push out of it. But rather than waste his strength, he figured he could get out another way.

Instead, Sasuke peered downwards towards her skirt. "Strawberries."

"_You pervert!"_

Ren immediately flushed red and hopped off of Sasuke in a heartbeat. Sasuke used that moment to press his hand against her face and push her off the bed. _"Ow!"_

"That's my line, you damn exhibitionist."

_0~0~0_

After breakfast, while Sasuke got dressed. There came a light knocking at his door. Ren opened the door slightly, pressing her back against it lightly as she talked slowly from the other side of the door.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

Ren kept her voice low as she spoke slowly. "You leave every morning but you haven't touched your school uniform all week. Not only that, but Itachi tells me that you come home after midnight; dead tired. What's going on?"

"It's none of your concern." Ren answered along with Sasuke, sighing momentarily before she spoke again. "That's all you ever tell me."

"You don't _need_ to know of my affairs."

"No, but I _need to know_ whether you're off doing something dangerous and life threatening or not."

Sasuke's short black hair was messy as it always was as he stroked it with his hand. He wore a white under shirt, covered by an unbuttoned onyx black shirt with long black jeans.

Since Sasuke was done dressing, he figured he'd at least humor Ren. If he left without at least talking to her, she'd flip out upon his return. _**If**__ I return._

He walked over to the door, slowly pulling it back allowing Ren to fall back against his chest.

"Your concern is appreciated but not necessary."

Ren bent her neck backwards and gazed into Sasuke's dark eyes "If this is anything like _before_ it's more than natural that I worry about you, right?"

The look she gave told him more than enough. She was troubled over his constant absence - uneasy over his well-being. That was understandable. 4 years ago, Sasuke was in a similar position and Ren was no different than she was now. Actually, she was more dead set on stopping him before.

An image of a frantic, tear stained girl begging him to stop popped into his head. He brushed that memory aside, continuing to look at the same girl who had matured (slightly) over the years.

However, worry and concern were not the only feelings Sasuke noticed from her gaze. There seemed to be a yearning, a cry for comfort and security. That…as well as something else.

Sasuke gently pushed her away from him, forcing down any feelings that the scene had stirred up before he made his way to the door. He knew of it for years, but he didn't want to respond to it. He didn't have the right to.

No matter how much he or she wished for it. He was an avenger; nothing more, nothing less.

But before he walked out, he left her with words that only worsened her uneasiness. Never in his life had she heard him speak those words to anyone. _Did he know that he wasn't coming back? Was he never planning to see her again? What was going on?_

"_Thank you…for everything." _

In his life there was no place for love.

* * *

><p>Now that his plans were coming together, all he would need now was a group of individuals dedicated to following his every command without question.<p>

_But first…_

Haze was content. Despite lounging around in a flea-bitten garbage pit of an apartment, she was happy (believe it or not). She was free for the day without any requests. A day for her; A day to relax.

As Haze skimmed through the different T.V channels, she could have felt a strange vibration coming from her pant pocket. She found that strange since it wasn't '_Play time'_ just as yet. It was then that she remembered she owned a cell phone.

When she grabbed it, her cell phone flashed 'unknown number' which made her extremely cautious about answering it.

"Hey Nympho, I need you to do something for me." A voice demanded from the other end.

"How in the hell did you get this number?" Haze replied as angrily as she could. She knew what was coming. This punk always had something for her to do! Not today! Not on her rest day he didn't!

"Doesn't matter."

_Figures he wouldn't say a word about it_. Haze would have to dump her cell phone in the trash after this. This was the third cell phone she owned. How did he constantly get a hold of her numbers? _That punk._

"What the hell do you want now, Ducky?"

"Don't you dare call me that!"

"Can't stop what I already started." She laughed.

"Whatever. I want you to keep an eye out on someone for me." _No!_

"Why the fuck should I listen to a pipsqueak like you?"

"_Uchiha Mansion." She could __**feel**__ his sinister grin on the other end of the line. That line alone made her skin crawl. She felt her breakfast coming back up. _

"…how can I help you?"

"Much better."

* * *

><p>Now that Sasuke had found an ample amount of information on his target, and a temporary bodyguard for his maid, he had to move on with his plans. He was an Uchiha, who were elites at everything they did. But in this dark world, no one should go into the dark alone. He needed an elite team of trained individuals who knew of the inner-workings of the dark streets of Konoha.<p>

He knew just who to look for.

Clothes, half finished beer cans, discarded ramen cups and T.V dinners scattered across the floor. If Sasuke hadn't known any better this guy could have been Naruto's twin when it came to cleanliness.

It came to him as no surprise that he would find his body in the bathtub; out cold and possibly dead drunk.

Despite his current position, Suigetsu was no slouch when it came to his safety. If Sasuke approached him in the wrong way, he might have very well said goodbye to all of his fingers. Because if there was one thing he knew about Sui, was that his 'Baseball case' wasn't very far from him.

Not many people still practiced the way of the sword; however Sui was a firm believer that it would never die. And so he practiced it like it was his very own religion. Even as a child, he was a prodigy with the sword and a well known mercenary in the underground. That was, until Sasuke found him and enlisted him.

"Suigetsu, your sword is broken."

"What the fuck!" Suigetsu shot up from the tub immediately going into a frenzied panic in search for his sword. It only took 3 seconds but he found it underneath his body and with that he made a large sigh of relief.

"My sword is fine! What the hell are you- Oh, Sasuke." He blinked repeatively before a shark-like smile crawled up his cheek. "It's rare for you to come here personally. What's up?"

"_He's_ back."

Suigetsu's eyes widened for a moment before a sinister grin grew on his face.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you want to bring him along?" Sui sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Remember what happened last time?"<p>

Suigetsu had white hair with a light-blue tint to it, purple eyes, and wore a matching purple sleeveless shirt with grey pants. He wore a belt around his waist with water bottles attached to it, and another belt around his chest that held his _'baseball bat case'_.

"I'm well aware." Sasuke answered, opening the door to the Konoha Insane Asylum. "You know as well as I that we need him."

"Fine, whatever. If you end up in a hospital like that last guy, don't blame me."

Sasuke walked up to the receptionist, pulling out his wallet which bore the Uchiha symbol on the back. The woman in the seat grinned with excitement (probably because she was meeting an Uchiha).

"I'm looking for Jūgo." Before the woman could respond, Sasuke continued. "I know how dangerous he is, I know how to handle him. I also know where his block is so you don't need tell me. I would appreciate it greatly if you opened the doors for me and my associate."

"O-of course Mister Uchiha Sir." She grabbed the landline phone, asking security to open the locks to the 'Maximum Detention' section.

"Man, you should adopt me into your family." Suigetsu sighed. "You guys have things so _easy_!"

"Quiet."

It didn't take long to find him. He was the only one in the block.

"Jūgo." Sasuke called to the cellmate behind the white door. Jūgo held his head between his knees in his cradled position.

Jūgo wasn't here on a court order. He placed himself in this 'self-seclusion'. Jūgo had 'issues'. Quite frankly, he was a mentally unstable sociopath on the brink of breaking down. He would often have spats of uncontrolled rage and aggression that were deemed unacceptable by Jūgo himself. He couldn't live with the guilt.

While he lived with a psychopathic monster living inside him, Jūgo on the other hand was a kind soul who simply wanted to be 'normal'. Jūgo had spiky orange hair, and a usually calm face. It didn't bode well with him knowing that at any moment he could kill without a care.

The origins of his violent behavior were still under current investigation by none other than Sasuke himself. So far he found that it was passed down from his family rooting from experimentations for super soldiers decades ago. But nothing was conclusive.

"…huh? Sasuke? What are you doing here?" He notched his head towards the Uchiha. He wore black pants, a tan shirt and brown sandals.

"We've got things to do Jūgo. It's time to come out of there."

"No! You can't make go out there! You know what I'm capable of!" Jūgo franticly crawled away from the door.

"Jūgo I took you out a few months ago and you were fine. Why did you lock yourself up again?"

"You know that I could flip at any moment!" Jūgo screamed pounding his hand against the wall.

"A few days after the club I randomly beat up some old couple who were just taking a walk! Thank Kami I came too before it was too late. I don't even know if they were okay or not-" Just then, Jūgo gripped his head roughly, convulsing and screaming as if he was in great pain.

"Gah! No! Ahhhhh!"

"Oh here we go." Sui sighed.

"Hahaha! The old bitch deserved it! That's what she gets for looking at me weird-like." He laughed maniacally.

"Jūgo." Sasuke called his name calmly.

"What do you want some of me too punk? Bring it on! I'll rip you to shreads!" He pounded on the door, ready to make his declaration come true. Despite Jūgo's change in behavior, Sasuke remained completely calm.

"Jūgo!" Sasuke shouted more forcefully, briefly covering his right eye with his hand. Immediately after he brought his hand down, Jūgo noticed a change occurring in Sasuke. His eyes became dark-crimson.

"Ah…ahhh…ahhhh," Jūgo's screaming began to die down and he soon began to feel calmer.

"As long as I'm here, I'll keep you under control."

"But-" Jūgo's voice stopped in his throat. Under Sasuke's intense glare, he couldn't find the words to say. Sasuke had always been able to keep him calm. He didn't know why. The only other person who could have done that was Kimimaro, but…he was killed by his so-called master years ago. A man that Jūgo, along with the rest of the group swore to kill.

"…alright…as long as you are here. I can control it."

"Good," Sasuke remarked as his irises returned to its usual black. This change was always followed by an intense pain from using _'that'_ came shortly afterwards.

"Oi, oi." Sui spoke up after a long silence. "You know what using that does to you. You should stop that."

"Its fine." Sasuke covered his eye, making his way towards the exit. "We're missing one more."

* * *

><p>"Okay, I know that we needed Jūgo but do we really need her? I mean, she isn't as useful as me or Jūgo so why don't we just do this with the three of us, ne?" Sui brought his hands together as he begged.<p>

"I'm usually one to disagree with his ideas, but I actually agree with him on this one." Jūgo remarked.

"I know she can be a handful but she has a knowledge of this city that is unrivalled by none. She's the cities' best informant."

"But she's insane!" Sui retorted.

"We aren't exactly normal either…" Jūgo whispered "Especially me…"

"Quit your whining." Sasuke slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone placing it next to his face. In the same instant he hit the call button, a spiky-red haired girl rushed up to Sasuke placing a vice-grip hold on Sasuke's arm.

"Saaaasssssuuuuuukkkkkeeeee-kuuuuuuunn (Insert hearts here)."

"How the fu-!" Suigetsu jumped.

"Why haven't you called me yet? Have you been seeing other girls than me on the side? I bet it was that maid of yours!" The red-head whizzed through three emotions all in the span of .5 seconds.

Karin had red eyes, matching hair colour, and an unusual hairstyle: her hair was short, pointy, and unkempt on the right side, while it is long, pin-straight and combed on her left side. She wore brown glasses, which had a serrated blade hidden in them. Just in case of emergencies. Karin outfit consists of a lavender top, short black shorts, and long black thigh high stockings with black sandals.

Karin was under no doubt mentally unstable. But unlike Jūgo, Sasuke found her much more dangerous in another sense. Sasuke couldn't count the number of times he found Karin in his bed (Yes he could); to make matters worse she was always naked. His mornings were always noisy because of her (Ren's fits and screams and Itachi's strange chuckling).

This lead Sasuke to remember that her chest, neck and arms were covered with bite marks which were always hidden by her outfits. Unlike other people, she didn't cut herself rather she bit herself whenever she felt…unstable. But she long since stopped that, after meeting Sasuke.

Despite her many, many, many, many, many, many flaws she was a valuable asset to the group. Being the daughter of a city council official left her with many connections around the entire city (Which she used on a daily basis to track Sasuke down). She was very intelligent (She had to be to keep up with Sasuke's escape plans), devious and could get into any office, club and building with one phone call.

"Focus Karin." Sasuke somehow managed to break away from her grip; pulling away from her as quickly as he could.

"What? You didn't call me for a date?"

"No."

"Well let's go on one anyway." She smiled brightly, reclaiming her rightful place on his arm.

"We've got work to do, Karin." Sasuke pulled away with lightning fast reflexes. Karin pouted.

"Alright, now that all four of us are here we can begin the operation." Sasuke continued.

"Huh?" Karin turned to the other boys. "Wait, since when were Jūgo and Suigetsu here?"

"_WE WERE ALWAYS HERE YOU LOON." _

* * *

><p>"Man, we haven't been active in years." Suigetsu couldn't seem to hide his excitement. "Finally some action with the old gang."<p>

"You haven't changed in all those years either," Karin scoffed. "Talk about childish, right Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He was more concerned with getting to his destination with his chastity intact.

"Shut up! Nothing's wrong with being excited over this."

"Everything is wrong with it, Baka."

"Huh? Care to say that again?" Suigetsu's carefree expression contorted into one of anger.

"Gladly!"

"You two should seriously stop it," Jūgo sighed. "It's always like this with you two."

"Like what?"

"Like you two are an angry elderly couple."

"We are not a couple!" They both screamed.

Sasuke mentally groaned beneath his impassive expression. Maybe he should have just done it alone. At least they arrived at their destination, an old bar named 'Dark Red'. While Sasuke climbed down a flight of stairs, he hoped that Karin wouldn't purposefully trip him so that she had an excuse for straddling him once they hit the bottom. It wouldn't be the first time.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sasuke's body made an immediate halt however his mind kept racing. Without turning, he immediately recognized the one who spoke to him. That cold, dead tone was enough of hint.

But how? How was he here?

"Yeah, it's been a long time." Sasuke turned slightly and from the corner of his eye he identified a man no taller than Suigetsu standing on top of the flight of stairs.

He had fair skin and short, spiky, auburn hair (which Sasuke swore was red). He had light mint-green eyes, however; this color must have alternated somewhat because Sasuke remembered that his eyes were light-blue.

He had no distinctive eyebrows either. He had two very notable traits in his appearance: firstly, he had tanuki-like black eye rings, having them since his birth. Secondly, he had the kanji "love" on the left side of his forehead.

"…Gaara."

_0~0~0_

Gaara of the Sand lived a tortured life. He wasn't alone in that pit of despair. Naruto and Sasuke, along with countless other teenagers (and adults alike), who had severed ties with the outside world were gathered here. All for the sole purpose of discovering their true potential to do with what they please. At least, that's what _he_ promised.

Only later did they discover his plan was to bring nothing but malice and disorder to the world. There were few who agreed with his plan, and there were those who didn't. All of this lead to a major conflict in power, which would later be marked in history as the great riot of Konoha.

'Dākudē' (The Black Day), Sasuke called it. That was a day that would haunt Gaara and the city for the rest of their existence.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked bluntly. By now, Sasuke had already demanded that he be left alone with Gaara. The other members quietly slipped into the bar until they were needed. "You're supposed to be in extensive care."

"I admit that I'm still not completely healed. I'm well enough to walk around, but not for extensive excursions." Gaara remarked, his expression not changing once.

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"I know that _he's_ returned, Sasuke. And I know that you're planning to do whatever you can to make sure that _he _pays for everything _he_ did to us." Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits. _What is he planning…?_

"I've come to give you some advice."

"What?"

"You're eyes are still the same. Eyes that long for power, eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent. You're thirsty. An insatiable lust that won't be satisfied until you watch that person's last few moments of life drift away. To know that you ended it with your own hands. Then and only then would your life be fulfilled."

"I've come to warn you to not take the path that leads to self-destruction. _Don't chase after a ghost that has long since been dead."_

"I have no intention of stopping, nor can anyone force me to repress my one true desire." Sasuke scoffed, his glare intensified.

Gaara's expression grew sad (if that were even possible). "There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, so that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life."

"We all felt true misery all those years ago, but now it's your time to enjoy the life you still have. Not throw yourself back into that endless pit of hatred. Only death awaits you there."

"I understand what you're trying to tell me, Gaara. But as I said, I have no intension of repressing my one true desire. Nothing will hold me down. _Nothing will stop me_."

"…I see." Gaara's eyes closed for a moment, and from the corner of his eye a single tear drop fell. Sasuke ignored it and continued.

"Why are you telling me all of this? After those vile experiments he had done to us all, your hatred of him should be the same as mine."

"I admit that my hatred of him will never die out, but rather than devote my existence to chasing down one man, I would choose to live life more peacefully."

Sasuke knew that if Gaara were to follow the path that Sasuke chose, in his current state it would only serve to shorten his life span even more than it already was. It may have even killed him.

* * *

><p><em>Screams of pain, wails of fear and cries of misery. Friends, rivals, even people that were yet to be known were suffering. They were dying, screaming for a hero to save them but no matter how much they cried no one could save them. Only three managed to escape from the incident. <em>

_They were hauled up in a small room. They were cornered, heavily beaten and their consciousnesses were slowly fading away. All they could have done was listened to the pain screams on the other end of the wall. _

"_Shit! Shit! Shit! This wasn't supposed to be this way!" Naruto screamed, repeatively punching the wall until his fists began to bleed. He couldn't take much more of this. _

"_This is all your fault Sasuke! You said your plan would work!" Naruto rushed up to Sasuke, grabbing his shirt and holding him up to the wall. _

"_Get off me punk! And I told you that there was only a 39% chance of working!" Sasuke bailed his fist and punched Naruto to the ground where continued his onslaught of fists to Naruto's face. _

"_Stop it the both of you. You're both giving me a headache." Gaara growled._

"_Tch!" Both clicked their teeth and returned to their original places. _

"_How did he manage to read our every move…" Sasuke gritted his teeth, punching the walling with all his might. "This was my only chance to destroy him! How could it have all gone wrong!" _

"_Did you forget that he used the _Heaven's Release _on himself?" Gaara remarked, wiping the loose trail of blood that dripped from the cut on his forehead. _

"_He used the _Hell Release_ at the last moment too. It nearly killed him, but it was enough of an edge to put everyone down. It was no wonder I couldn't even touch him." Naruto bitterly added._

"_Seems like his dream is finally being realized. Too bad we're the ones who pushed him into it with our assault." Gaara chuckled darkly. _

"_Yeah, and look where it got us." Naruto sighed, pressing his back against a long stack of boxes. "Seems like this was the best we could do…" _

"_No! I don't know about you but that fucker lied to all of us! He ruined all our lives just for his own selfish needs! I can't forgive him! I'll kill him even if I die in the process!" _

"_Sasuke calm the hell down!" Naruto retorted. _

"_No! How do you expect me to be calm? That fucker killed my parents then enlisted me here like some puppet!" _

"_I know but your screaming is going to attract his thugs-" No sooner had Naruto said that was there a banging at the door. "Shit they found us." _

_The banging came again, but this time louder. It was like they were slamming their bodies against the door. _

"_Well this is going to be interesting." Gaara chuckled darkly. _

_Bang!_

"_Will you shut up and help me think of a way out of this?" Sasuke snapped._

"_What's the point? We're going to die either way."_

_Bang!_

"_I am not dying here! Do you understand me?" _

"_I understand but that won't change the fact that we are going to lose our lives. He will hunt us down even if we do escape." _

"_Damn! Damn! Damn!" In Naruto's fit of anger, he kicked the pile of boxes. When they toppled over, it revealed a small window. _

"_Oh thank Kami! Guys there's a window here-!" In that same instant, Naruto felt someone grab his shirt and the next thing he knew he was thrown out the window. "Ahhhh!" _

_Bang! _

"_What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke grabbed Gaara and slammed him against the wall. _

"_Saving him." He answered in his usual tone. _

"_You just killed him!" Rather than reply, Gaara pointed out the window towards the ground. Sasuke hesitantly looked out the window to find that Naruto landed in a rather large dumpster. _

"_WHAT THE HELL MAN?"_

"…_did you know that window was here this entire time?" _

_Bang! Bang!_

"_Are you going to ask twenty questions or are you going to escape?" _

"_Why are you saving us? I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself!" _

"_I threw Naruto out because he wouldn't have agreed with what I had planned. And now I'm telling you to get out while you still can." _

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _

_Seemed like the first one called in reinforcements. Sasuke found it extremely strange that the cruel and uncaring Monster of the Sand seemingly cared about someone other than himself. _

"_Why…?"_

"_I'm doing this on a whim. I thought of using you two as scapegoats while I got away but I changed my mind."_

_Gaara turned away from Sasuke, looking closely at the door that was moments away from being breaking open. "Naruto is more than he seems and I'm sure you've noticed. He is a boy bathed in a warm light that can attract and change the people around him. He is someone that deserves to live to inspire others, while monsters like me are better left off in darkness never to be seen again."_

_Before Sasuke had time to respond, the door flew open and thugs swarmed in. "GO!" _

_Without hesitation Sasuke hopped out the window. For a moment, he turned to see Gaara who showed him a slight smirk before he crashed into the dumpster below._

"_Where's Gaara?" Naruto immediately asked. Sasuke didn't respond, he quickly crawled out and began to run ignoring Naruto's cries for information. _

_Sasuke wasn't the one most amazed with Gaara's actions. Gaara couldn't believe what he was doing himself. He never shared a shred of compassion for anyone, yet here he was saving two persons he didn't care for. He only grew accustom to seeing them on a daily basis during all this madness. _

_How could one person change him so much? But that was a question for another time. For now, all he had to do was survive. Somehow._

"_You've been a naughty boy, Gaara-kun." He cackled. "Oh, you let the others get away. How unusual…" _

"_If you've come to kill me, just get it over with." Gaara responded coldly. _

"_You took the words right out of my mouth," He hissed while he licked his lips. "It's about time for your punishment." _

"_Come." Gaara glared. _

_The next time Sasuke saw Gaara, he was being rushed to Konoha General Hospital on a stretcher with ruptures to his lungs, with every single bone in body broken. At that time, the doctors said that he'd never walk again. But here he was, 4 years later looking like a soldier who returned from battle. _

* * *

><p>"I felt nothing but hatred and loathing for any and everything while I lay in that hospital bed for these past 4 years. I even hated you and Naruto for making me so weak."<p>

"All I could think about was driving my hands through your wretched hearts. I dreamt of slitting your throats in your moments of happiness. I dreamed of the day that I could make you all suffer like I did."

"But luckily, that day would never come. Only afterwards did I come to thank Naruto. I became sensitive to that 'warmth', and found that I was surrounded by it all this time. I found happiness in my time of darkness. I found love, friendship and family. In those four years of suffering, I realized how much I meant to my family and friends in Sunagakure."

"I don't want you to fall prey to the same darkness I drowned in for years."

"Thank you for the heads up, but I won't make the mistake of playing the Hero. That's Naruto's job. Mine is much," Sasuke's expression grew morbid, "…darker."

"I see."

At that moment, a small girl ran up to Gaara (seemingly irate). Her short brown hair was easily noticeable; her dark eyes and fair skin seemed to suit the personality Sasuke had already labeled her with. She wore a blue-green blouse that hung off her left shoulder, a white sleeveless shirt underneath, a short yellow scarf tied around her neck and a black short skirt. She also wore long, thigh-high stockings, brown sandals and black gloves.

"Gaara-sama! You've been outside for too long! You could have a relapse any minute now!"

"Sorry Matsuri, I lost track of time. I was talking with an old friend of mine."

"Oh, sorry I didn't notice." Matsuri blushed slightly, noticing Sasuke's gaze.

"This is Matsuri." Matsuri politely bowed, "She's one of the people who saved me from my darkness."

Sasuke didn't respond.

"Apparently I'm needed, so this is goodbye for now. It was good seeing you again." With that Gaara departed, holding Matsuri's hand as he walked away. "Hopefully, we can do this again under different circumstances."

Was he indirectly telling Sasuke that love was the cure to his thirst for vengeance? Sasuke had no interest in distractions like that. He had a goal. That was all he needed to motivate him.

"If you wished it, I could provide you with my surveillance services whenever you needed it." Gaara's voice brought him out of his daze.

"Just like old times."Sasuke responded and Gaara smiled as they both walked away in separate directions.

* * *

><p>Sasuke entered the bar, immediately finding his friends in the back of the room, trying to catch as little attention as possible. They were in position and they were ready. Karin pointed to the door in the back of the room, and that's where Sasuke headed to.<p>

Sasuke turned the knob, but the door was locked. Jūgo stepped up, ball his fists and punched the door with all his might creating a large hole.

"I could have just unlocked it with my hair pin…" Karin face-palmed.

"This is much quicker."

Sasuke ignored the immense stares from his back, and walked into the room like he didn't nothing wrong.

"Which one?" Sasuke asked, not really bothering with the men who had a fusion of expressions plastered on their faces; confusion, surprise, anger.

"The third one from the right," Karin answered non-chalet.

"Kuraga Kimato, I have some questions for you."

"…what the hell? What does an Uchiha want with me?" He immediately went on the defensive. Karin looked over to Sasuke and he gave a small nod.

"Look here buddy, I ain't gonna mince words with you." Karin adjusted her glasses. "We've got enough dirt on you to send you to prison for a good long time and if you don't spill the beans right here and now, I hope you won't mind being someone's bitch for the next 40 years."

"What the hell bitch?"

"Like I said, answer the questions and we won't have any problems."

Just then, a rather large man got up from his chair and in an attempt to grab Karin he was instead greeted by the end of Suigetsu's bat case.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you~" Suigetsu grinned. "I haven't used my '_baseball bat'_ in a while, and you wouldn't like it if I practiced on you."

At that moment, three other men stood up. No sooner had three other men stood up, had they returned to back to their seats. All of them paralyzed with fear.

"No need to get up."

Suigetsu figured that he'd make an example of one. All three men seemed to be smoking. In seconds, Suigetsu pulled his sword out of the case, unsheathed it and sliced through the air.

The men fell back into their seats, once they realized that Suigetsu sliced the cigarettes nearly chopping off their noses.

"Now, I know you've been in contact with _Yashagorō_. I want to know where _he_ is and what _he_ is planning."

"…look I'm not supposed to talk about that! I'll be killed!" He had already given up trying to hide the truth.

"Either take your chances with him or me." Sasuke's cold glare was enough to make the man shiver in his seat.

"Fine! Last I saw him was in the Snow District near the old fire station. An old building that looked like it was condemned a few years back."

Sasuke eyed the man for what felt like hours before he closed his eyes, "Suigetsu."

Just then, Suigetsu stabbed the table the men were playing cards "You're lying bud. And I don't take kindly to liars."

"I'm telling the truth!"

"Let me tell you something about myself. I don't have this sword because I like it. No, it's not the sword I like._ It's what I can do with it that I love! I love chopping things! __Because I'm not able to resist cutting people apart when I see them together! How can I say it… I'm driven by my impulse to cut things into two… that's who I am!" _

Just then Karin slapped him upside the head. "Calm down, you chop-o-phile."

"…anyway, next time you lie. This is going straight between your head and your shoulder blades." The man gulped, holding his throat with his hands.

"Now, I'll ask you one final time." Sasuke's eyes turned red. "_Where is he_?"

"…I don't know where he is exactly, honest! All I know is that he was in the Snow District trying to mend his broken relationships with the Yazuka families but none of them want anything to do with him! I heard that he was planning to collect as much help as he could to start another gang war!"

"With who?"

"Akatsuki."

Sasuke's eyes widened, "…anything else?"

"I also heard he came back to the city to take something he couldn't before he left."

"We're done here. It's time to leave." Sasuke turned to the exit but it was currently blocked by twenty to thirty rather large men who seemed none too happy with them.

"You got some nerve charging in here, bub." One of the men scoffed.

"Finally some action!" Suigetsu shouted, pulling his sword out of the table.

Just then one of the men ran out of the crowd charging straight for Sasuke ramming his fist into his chest, at least, that's what he wanted to do. Rather, the large man next to Sasuke caught the boy's arm with his fist and buried his other deep into the boy's face. His attack didn't end there; he grabbed the boy and slammed him into the nearest table.

"Raaaaahhhh!" Jūgo screamed charging for the rest of the crowd.

_0~0~0_

"Hahaha! That was priceless!" Suigetsu chuckled as they all walk out of the bar. "Man, I honestly missed hanging out with you guys!"

Looking back, every single thug in the bar was either stuck in the wall, on a high shelf or left as a broken mess on the floor thanks to Jūgo's 'issues'.They were a force to be reckoned with.

"_Taka is back in business baby!" _

* * *

><p><em>If you guys don't know who <em>He_ is by now; AJ is disappoint. I've left so many clues. Now guys come on and show me you've been paying attention!  
><em>


	23. Heaven & Hell

_A/N: A small glimpse into the past with lots of foreshadowing for the future. _

* * *

><p><em>~0~0~0~<em>

_Heaven & Hell_

_~0~0~0~_

* * *

><p>The sun's rays over the sky, faded as the bright yellow hues orange hues gave way to the orange hues of the mid-afternoon. Strangely the sun shone brightly but was dimmed by a heavy layer of clouds casting a dark shadow over the city.<p>

A gentle breeze wafted through the classroom window, and the frigid cold air she had anticipated never came. Instead a warm wind brushed over her body.

Strange, it's the middle of winter. The wind couldn't possibly be this warm.

Tachibana Ren had quietly sat in her classroom, finishing up what little home-work she had left. By now most of the students had long since gone home. Afternoons were usually noisy, but days like these were hard to come by. Most of the club members had gone home by now so the school was practically all hers.

Or so she thought…

Suddenly, there was a heavy sound coming from the door. The crash was so heavy that Ren could have felt the seat tremble beneath her. The glass in the door shattered.

She could have heard several girls, as well as a person who had made Ren's school life a living hell. Yamato Kouhei's voice brought on memories that she would rather forget.

"Yamato, what are you doing? You're destroying school property!"

"You're saying that like I actually give a shit!" He cackled.

This boy was the very reason that Ren had been alienated. When she first came here, she noticed that everyone seemed to avoid her because of her skin tone but that was quickly dismissed when she made a small circle of friends. But that all disappeared when Kouhei noticed her.

He was interested in her, but she immediately turned him down. He didn't like that. He was popular for being the schools top thug. He had power. And he used that power to alienate her from the other students. Her friends stopped talking to her; everyone eyed her like she was a disease ridden-mongrel. Even the teachers were the same.

She was all alone, but she stood firm and strong. She had her family to take care of so her social life didn't matter to her. She knew she was cared and loved for when she came home.

Kouhei seemed…different. He'd usually tease her and have her classmates pull horrid pranks on her, but now, he seemed…scared.

"…what do you want this time?" Ren eyed the boy closely.

"I didn't come for idle chat today Brownie. Today…" He chuckled with a large devil's grin plastered on his face, "is a very special day for you and me."

Ren understood his grave words immediately. Ren couldn't run away this time. Kouhei's groupies blocked all the exits. So she stayed in her seat - her only place of refuge - as the students surrounded her.

"…what on earth are you talking about?" Ren slowly slipped her in her skirt pocket, reaching for her phone. At that moment, Kouhei rushed up to her grabbing her arm.

"Uh uh, no friends allow. Today, you're all mine."

* * *

><p>A dry chill ran up Sasuke's spine. His heart rate became erratic and his thoughts scattered. What immediately followed was a sense of surrealism. He knew that He would try to hurt those closest to him, but why her? Why Ren? Why!<p>

He had only followed up on his investigation when he got a call. He wanted to ignore it but the moment he placed it to his ear he found himself running.

"LET GO OF ME KOU-! SASUKE! HEL-"

An instinctive fear gripped his heart as he placed his phone back into his pocket. He didn't know where he was heading, but he didn't have time to stop and think. Where was she? Who was attacking her? Was she alright? He wasn't in the right state of mind to think clearly.

"Think Sasuke think! You're an Uchiha for god sakes."

_Think about what she said. Kou…what was Kou? It was most definitely her telling someone to get off her. She obviously knew the assailant by name. Ren never really made an effort to make friends at school because of the bulling. Bulling…Kou…Kouhei Yamato; the punk who couldn't handle when she rejected him._

"That bastard is finally making his move." Sasuke made an immediate turn into a dank alley way, hopping over the worn-out boxes and dumpsters in his path.

_Okay that settles who it is. But where are they? Ren couldn't possibly be at her house nor his. A punk like Yamato wasn't brave enough to attack her at her house with her family around, nor stupid enough to attack a house owned by the Uchihas._

He charged through a green light at an intersection running straight into ongoing traffic. He avoided a few cars by inches, but one in particular pulled up in front of him. He didn't have time to stop and go around! He quickly hoped onto the front, slid over to the other end and continued his sprinting.

Sasuke turned his eye down to his watch. _Its 5:24 pm. Town is fairly populated. He wouldn't attack her in broad daylight unless he knew they were alone. Ren wouldn't be stupid enough to walk into his part of town, so he must have surprised her at a place she felt comfortable with._

"Meaning that she is most probably _here_!" Sasuke huffed, looking at the South Konoha High Public School.

Despite his intense lack of air, he inhaled deeply and let loose a beastly roar that echoed through the streets. "REN!"

Ignoring the stares from the onlookers on the streets, Sasuke's eyes flashed back and forth trying to identify and signs of movement. He immediately heard a faint clink – the sound of metal being hit.

Judging by the distance, it must have not been that far from him. But for a sound like that to reach him, it must have been in an outdoor area. He was taking a huge gamble. The sound could have come from a student who was surprised by his scream.

_Metal…_

Sasuke's hawk-like eye, scanned the area once more. His eye fell onto the roof which was fenced. Upon closer inspection, he could have seen a small brown object at the base of a specific area. _Brown…?_ "REN!"

With a burst of speed, he ran towards an opened window and flew through into an empty classroom. He immediately charged through the school towards the stairs. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that his hunch was correct. Kouhei locked the school's front door. He would have lost valuable time if he tried to open that.

He rushed up the stairs, disregarding the severe burning in his lungs. The rooftop door was closed and probably locked. He had the right tools to open the door but he lacked the time for it. When he came to the door, he noticed that the lock had been rusted and partly destroyed. Convenient.

With a heavy shoulder charge, the door gave way and he rolled to avoid further injury. What he saw on that rooftop disgusted him and made his anger flare to extremes. A gang of boys restrained Ren's limbs as one boy in particular was busying himself with ripping her panties off.

"SASUKE!"

The crashing door was enough to distract the boys for a moment, which gave Ren the chance to kick a few of them off her, but the largest boy there grabbed both her wrists to restrain her. He was so rough with her slim wrists. They looked like they could snap at any moment.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HER." Sasuke roared.

"Shit, Uchiha!" The one who tried to rip off her panties groaned. "Get him now!"

He was the leader, Yamato Kouhei. No sooner had he commanded that his cronies surrounded Sasuke with knives, stun guns and from what he could make out a cheap pistol. Each of them glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

Sasuke made an immense effort to calm himself down. Just one wrong move and both of them would have died this very day. But all of it was for naught.

Ren wrestled herself free from Kouhei's grasp, trying to rush over to Sasuke but Kouhei's reach was long. He caught her again, pulling her back to him.

"Stay out of it, you bitch!"

He made short work of putting her down on her back, straddling her. In that instant, Sasuke's rage and anger flared to new heights. Kouhei raised his arm and brought it down on her face.

Sasuke tried to charge in but the pistol was immediately placed in his face. He couldn't move.

"Ugh!" Ren groaned. Kouhei began tearing off her skirt, grinning darkly as he enjoyed himself. "Sasuke…help me…"

Ren's tears. Sasuke always hated it when she cried. It always made him feel bad even if it wasn't his fault. Again, he hit her. Sasuke began to see the color red.

"Shut the fuck up!" He hit her again.

"Please…stop…" Her eyes, wet with her tears turned to Sasuke. "Just run…run away…"

The sight of her blood dispelled any confusion in Sasuke's head. Everything became clear to him. The sound of her cries glued together Sasuke's fragmented mind. He closed his eyes, then he slowly opened them. His field of vision became perfect.

"Yo…look at his eyes." One of the cronies pointed out.

"They're red!"

"…what the hell."

In his state of slight distress, Sasuke shot a death glare at the punk with the gun which unnerved him to his core. The boy tightened his grip on the gun, but no matter how tightly he held the gun it wouldn't remain steady. Sasuke slowly lifted his hand, placing it at the top of the gun and ripped off the shaft compartment. The gun could no longer fire.

The boy immediately dropped the gun that Sasuke had so casually disarmed and stepped back. (Itachi had trained Sasuke on how to disarm every firearm known to man.) Sasuke immediately buried his fist into the boy's stomach, making sure to put every ounce of force he had into his blow. Before Sasuke could go any further, another punk with a knife tried to stab him. Sasuke balled his fingers, gripping the boy's shirt and pulled him into the path of the knife.

"Gahhhh!" The boy's screams filled the heavens as the knife pieced his back.

"Holy shit!"

Sasuke lost all interest in his meat shield as kicked him with great force shooting him into his friends. Just then, two boys with stun guns tried to rush Sasuke. Sasuke didn't even bother looking at them. He kept his vision on Yamato, who still hadn't noticed what was happening to his gang.

As they closed in, Sasuke grabbed both their wrists and quite easily snapped them. With enough grip, he whipped their hands upwards (like how a roman chariot rider whips the horses) breaking their grip on the stun guns. He didn't miss a beat. He quickly kicked a stun gun back into his hand, and pressed it against one of the boys face then smashing it into the others neck.

Sasuke casually walked up to Yamato who was busing himself with unzipping his pants. "Yamato."

"Can't you see I'm busy-!" When he turned to face Sasuke, he was immediately greeted with a fist that caused his head to bounce up once it hit the ground. Sasuke didn't give him the courtesy to scream out just yet.

Yamato felt like his world had ended. The immense amount of pain that radiated from his crotch was inhumane. Sasuke continued to stomp on his crotch.

"Can you stand?"

"…yes." Ren wiped the trails of blood from her forehead and mouth as she watched. Sasuke didn't yield. He continued his onslaught on Kouhei's body, growing ever more forceful.

"AHHH! What are you bastards- GAH- Waiting for- AH – GET HIM!" Kouhei managed through his pained cries. He was in too much pain to even stand.

"Get away from him!" The cronies began to shout. Sasuke didn't answer. Instead he turned his face, glaring at them from over his shoulder. Not for one second had he stopped his brutal blows.

"…you had better find a teacher. Quickly." Sasuke's face remained impassive. "I honestly don't think I can stop at this point."

Kouhei's gang looked lost. They didn't know what to do. Sasuke was a monster in their eye. They were afraid that they were next.

"GO!" Kouhei ordered and they scrambled down the stairs. Kouhei managed to kick Sasuke's foot away, and roll away for a quick moment. When he got up, it didn't take long for Sasuke to catch him once more. Sasuke quickly kicked him into the fence, grabbing his head and slamming it repetitively until he began to bleed.

"Stop it! I'm sorry man! I'm sorry!"

Sasuke's anger immediately flared once more as he turned Yamato and unleashed his primal fury onto his head, neck, chest and abdominal. "…why are you apologizing to me?"

"Ren make him stop! I'm sorry, okay?" Sasuke punched him. "I didn't want to do it! He made me do it!"

Yamato started crying but that was the least of Sasuke's concerns. What he said went into one ear and out the other. Why was he under the impression that Sasuke actually gave a shit about his well being? Even if Ren were to spare him for his actions, Sasuke wouldn't.

"Didn't she tell you to stop? But did you fucking listen?" Sasuke slammed his hand on Yamato's throat, placing a crushing grip while he held him in the air.

"I'm going to pay you back for everything you did to her tenfold!"

"I'm sorry…please stop…" Yamato quickly held Sasuke's hand in an attempt to keep himself from choking. This tempted Sasuke into squeezing him harder. He wouldn't stop until he squeezed the life out of him.

Ren was stunned; by the resent attack and by Sasuke's appearance. It was only when her mind finally clicked into place that she realized that Sasuke held a boy, roughly his height, with one hand. No normal human should be that strong. She wouldn't believe it if it wasn't actually happening right in front of her.

* * *

><p>"<em>A drug?" Sasuke asked with childish curiosity<em>

"_Yes, Sasuke-kun it's what I've been talking about." _

"_So all this time you were a drug dealer. Figures." Sasuke sighed. _

"_That's cruel. I'm no miserly drug dealer. Besides this is no ordinary drug." He brought a bottle of a clear liquid marked 'Heaven's Release' on the front. _

"_Heaven's Release? What's that supposed to mean?" _

"_The naming is something I did on a whim. But that's not what's important. It's what it does that will fascinate you to no end!" _

"_So what does it do?" _

"_Many scientists believe that the day to day Human being only uses 10% of their brains. That's quite a shame don't you think? When I learned of this, I thought to myself 'We humans have created so much and we have become so advanced over the millennia with only 10% of our full potential!" _

"_What if there was a way to enhance the human's natural abilities to that of Super beings! Super humans if you will! The possibilities of what we can do with that are limitless! This sole idea thrust me in the world of science to create what I hold in my hand here today!" _

"_The Heaven's Release! It is simply basically a substance that unlocks the full capabilities of your brain. It begins from insertion into the body where it travels to your nervous system-"_

"_Don't bore me with the details. Does it work or not?" Sasuke cut him short. _

"_As mean as ever…but to answer your question, it does." _

"_How dangerous is this thing? Is it addictive? How long does it last? How many dosages does one need to be effective?" _

"_Always filled with questions aren't you?" He chuckled. _

"_I'd like for them to be answered." _

"_I've made various tests over the years and this is my latest batch. It has only very few minor side effects. I'm not sure why but the drug induces a color change in the Iris of the eye in the beginning stages. I believe that while the drug comes into contact with light from the retinas it causes a change within the cells."_

"_That would be really inconvenient. I'm sure that everyone would notice I was on something if my eyes suddenly became purple!"_

"_You could always say you got contacts." _

"_Be serious here." _

"_I thought of that and created more batches after that one. Not much changed, but now when it's used the irises turn dark red." _

"_Dark red…like that isn't noticeable."Sasuke scoffed.  
><em>

"_That's not all. It also causes…slight discomfort in the eyes."_

"_Slight?" Sasuke eyed him._

"_I will get to that." He placed the bottle down onto the table. "This drug is similar to a human's 'Adrenaline rush'. From the moment it is injection into your blood stream it begins its work immediately. Actually, it works with the body not only giving you a 100% mental ability boost, but also acts like a major addition to your already potent adrenaline."_

"_Meaning?"_

"_You become physically stronger."_

"_At first it will be constantly activated and you'll be operating at 100% efficiency 24/7. But I believe that you wouldn't want that. It severely stresses your brain the longer you have it activated. It's why I will train you to use it and activate it whenever you please. Which leads me to the negatives." He scratched his head out of frustration. _

"_If you become severely stressed emotionally or mentally the strain will be too much and your body will begin slowly degrade. And so would have it, the substance in your blood will become volatile and your body will try to naturally 'excrete' the foreign substances. You'll begin to bleed from your eyes and mouth. Depending on the level of stress."  
><em>

"_That's bullshit!"_

"_It's the best I could do in such short time under your demands." _

"_So what's in the other vile?" Sasuke pointed to another jar of clear liquid on the table.  
><em>

"_That's…the Hell Release. It's a failed prototype version of the Heaven's release. It's not suited for you. It's…dangerous." _

"_How so?" _

_He sighed. "Rather than increase your mental abilities, the Hell Release increases a person's physical abilities and attributes beyond human limits. It literally turns the user into a killing machine." _

"_So why can't I get that one instead? Its obviously more convenient and useful for the type of work I do every day if you ask me."_

"_Stronger doesn't necessarily mean better, Sasuke-kun." The man turned his yellow eyes to Sasuke. "This drug is incredibly unstable. This drug causes the user to be prone to random acts of violent, mental stress as well as a constant need for violent activity. The user literally needs to fight constantly or they will have an eventual breakdown." _

"_Who was the poor soul you tested that on?" _

"_A boy named Jugo, but I was forced to send him away because his behavior led to the demise of many of my pupils." _

"_I see." _

"_Although, both these drugs are highly irregular and give different results on each of my pupils. The results are never constant." _

"_So everyone is different." _

"_In a way, yes." He rubbed his chin. "Now does this answer all your questions?" _

"_I'm satisfied for now. But really, you'll have the hardest time trying to get me to take that drug." _

"_Oh? Why's that?"_

"_I'm an Uchiha. We don't need petty substances to be on top." Sasuke scoffed as he left the room. The man only grinned._

_In the end, Sasuke accepted it but rarely ever used it. Using it placed a severe strain on the body. He felt like he was shorting his life span every time he used it.  
><em>

_Sasuke's abilities were balanced. The drug genetically enhanced his physical and mental abilities tenfold. He regretted accepting that vile man's offer, but there was something else he regretted from that experience. A boy who claimed to be Sasuke's best friend was dragged into his need for revenge and he was made into an experiment because of Sasuke. _

_Sasuke used his new found abilities from that experience to amend for his time with __Yashagorō to bring justice to the criminals of Konoha__. __ He wasn't alone. The one he failed to protect agreed to help him with his endeavors. He became an S class fighter who was rivaled by none because of the underground drug called 'The Hell Release'. _

* * *

><p>"Please…please…forgive me…"<p>

"Never."

That's right. The abilities weren't the only thing Sasuke pulled from that experience. He learned his role through the years. Sasuke was no hero. He was the one in the dark destroying those that had wronged him and others; to make sure that they paid for their deeds with their very lives. No more would he have mercy on his enemies; that only lead to horrible complications. Sasuke's mind was thrown into his defeat at Yashagorō's hands. Never again would he let that happen.

This was his path to walk alone.

Sasuke's hand tightened around Yamato's throat. His face began to turn purple. Just then, Yamato's body began convulsing and his eyes began to roll behind his head.

Those pure white eyes would never look down on anyone ever again.

Sasuke felt a nudge from his back along with small arms that wrapped around his body as he fell to the ground. Sasuke immediately raised his arm for a split second before he realized that it was Ren. She gathered all the remaining strength in her body, tackling Sasuke to the ground.

"Stop it…please. Don't become a murderer for my sake."

"You think highly of yourself don't you? I'm not doing this only for you. I think that guys like him should rot in the deepest part of hell!"

"I'm surprised a genius like you didn't think about what you were doing!" Ren screamed pinning Sasuke's arms to the ground. "If you kill him now you're going to jail! Do you want to throw your life away because of some bastard? Huh, Sasuke?"

He hated it when she got like this. She was more trouble than she was worth. "Get off me."

"Not until you calm down!"

Sasuke's eyes glowed, "I said get off!"

Ren glared at him defiantly, not once breaking away from his glare. She was no different than Naruto at times like these. This woman was so…annoying.

"…have it your way." Sasuke's eyes closed and from it a thin trail of blood seeped down. "Now get off."

"…I can't…"

"What?"

"He hurt my arms and legs on the way to the roof. I can barely stand as it is." Ren chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

"You're honestly more trouble than you're worth." Sasuke threw her off as he rolled. He slowly stood up, took off his jacket, grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her into his arms.

Before he could leave he had a few things he had to take care of. Sasuke roughly kicked Yamato's body for any sign of life. He immediately rolled over, coughing violently. Sasuke seemingly knocked him out of unconsciousness._ Damn, he's alive._

"You said someone made you do this. Who is he?" When there was no response, Sasuke roughly kicked him again. _"Who is he?"_

"I don't know!" Yamato coughed, groveling in a mountain of pain. "He had a hat on that…covered his face. He just told me to…rough Ren up. He said it was a warning or something."

No sooner had he said that, people began crowding the stairway. Sasuke didn't have enough information to go on, but that would do for now. He wanted to get out of the school as soon as possible.

Sasuke placed his jacket over Ren, who rested her head against his chest, and walked up to the crowd like he was on a casual stroll. "Move."

When Sasuke got the front gate, he whispered "Have a good look at it Ren because it will be the last time you'll be seeing it."

"What do you mean?"

"Come tomorrow morning you'll be transferred out of this dump and to Konoha North."

Ren wanted to scold him for making decisions without her permission, but he was probably doing it for her sake. Regardless, she still wanted to chew him out for it. But sadly, she didn't have the energy to respond. So rather than comment on his outrageous demand she lazily nodded.

* * *

><p>When they left the hospital, Sasuke called for a limousine to take Ren back to her house. Ren didn't want Sasuke to leave her side. He didn't blame her so he accompanied her without a word. Not much was said on the ride back until Ren started speaking half way through.<p>

"…I always thought that I should be able to do things on my own. I should be able to handle anything so that in the future, I can take care of my mother with my own two hands."

"But lately, I've been realizing that I honestly can't do anything on my own. To be completely honest, I…hesitated to call you. I had the chance but I tried to fend them off by myself. And…you can see what happened as a result."

"I know I don't say this very often but I'm really grateful of what you and your brother have done for me and mom all these years. Really, thank you for everything."

"…what's your point of telling me this?" Sasuke took his eyes off the road and turned to her.

"…I don't know. I just want to be able to do things on my own, but it seems like that will never happen." She sighed. "I guess I'm a weak girl for relying on others so much."

"…There are moments in life where we can't do everything ourselves. We need to rely on others if we need to reach our goals. Naruto taught me that years ago." Ren was honestly surprised. He was…comforting her.

"Wow. I didn't think you'd say anything." Ren managed a small smile.

"I'm the same as you. I can't live without you in my life."

Ren's mouth gapped open. "What…what did you just say?" She unconsciously closed the distance between them, a small blush appearing on her face.

"I said I can't live without you around." By now the blush had spread across her entire face. "I need you to do the things I'm too lazy to do myself."

Ren immediately slapped him and turned away with her arms crossed. "Hmph."

"…what did I say?"

It seemed like the dark message Yamato conveyed was coming true. The attack on Ren was only the beginning of a series of dangerous events that would forever change the dark avenger and his colleagues. Sasuke caught hold of an incredulous event before the limousine stopped.

"Ren stay inside!" Sasuke screamed before he rushed out.

Ren was startled by Sasuke's rash actions. He ran out of the limousine while it was still moving. But she understood his actions the moment she looked outside the window.

_Her house was set ablaze._

Her voice was faster than her brain could register. She began crying out before she even realized it herself.

_"MOM!"_


	24. Attack

0~o~0

Attack

0~o~0

* * *

><p>The Uchiha stood besides his sullen maid who refused to leave her mother's bed side. Akina rested on her hospital bed with a peaceful expression on her face. It was in complete contrast with the mood that surrounded her. It had only been a few hours after the incident and the tension had still not disappeared.<p>

"What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" She notched her head to Sasuke who wasn't much different with his head cast downwards. He didn't respond.

Akina Tachibana fell into a coma shortly following her arrival at the hospital. The doctors said that the stress she had been enduring for the years had finally began to set in. The fire only acted like a trigger. Whether she would wake up or not was completely up to her.

"Is it because of our skin color? Is that it?" _No…it isn't._

"I'm not arrogant enough to say that I will always have good intentions, but my mother is innocent! She has done nothing but try to make a life for herself in this city! We haven't done anything to earn this much scorn from people, so why?" Ren had long since lost her ability to cry. That had long been replaced by the anger she kept inside for all these years.

Sasuke's mind drifted to the incident…

_Sasuke broke through the front door with a jump kick, not wasting his momentary adrenaline he faced the blazing inferno. He ordered the driver to hold Ren back, so she was safe for now. _

_He was thankful that the house had only one floor and was very small for a house. He zoomed past the living room/kitchen making his way Akina's room. It was a great relief to know that she was on her bed. She must have been asleep (Sasuke didn't want to think of the dark idea that formed in his head). Before he grabbed her, he noticed that there was a large knife that stuck straight up from her bedside table - a warning._

_He didn't have time to sit down and analyze it. He picked the woman up, rushing out of the building only to catch a glimpse of the fire spreading to the gas tank. He quickened his pace, ignoring the searing burns on his arms and legs narrowly escaping the final explosion that shot him into limousine. _

_Moments later the ambulance arrived. _

The pain that radiated from the bandages that covered his arms, legs and face knocked him out of his trance. His burns couldn't compare to the shear guilt he felt. How could he tell Ren that all of this was not her fault, but his? Why was she the one paying for his mistakes? Why couldn't he tell her?

He wasn't supposed to feel any attachment, but why did it hurt when the ones he cared about suffer in his stead? This was why he worked alone! She had nothing to do with this!

_Damn it all! _

Without having anything less to say, Sasuke silently walked out of the room. His group – Taka – waited patiently for his orders outside of Akina's room. Sasuke seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts so they left him alone.

Sasuke walked to the reception area to sign some of the remaining paperwork since Ren was obviously in no condition to do it herself. After he was done with that, he decided that he needed some fresh air. He walked outside, making mental notes in his head.

Two attacks on his maid's life. Whoever the bastards who orchestrated these attacks were, they were persistent and arrogant. The attacker probably thought that after Ren was 'shaken' up from the assault she'd return home where they just as easily rigged it to blow. But there were so many holes in that plan that it didn't seem plausible.

Nothing could be gained from these attacks, apart from Sasuke's attention - which may have been what the attacker originally intended for. This would definitely not be the last attack. There had to be some sort of punch line to these events - a main event that these minuscule attacks would eventually lead up to.

Sasuke pounded his fist against the wall. "But what?"

At that instant, Sasuke's eyes locked onto a figure that casually walked past him. The figure didn't so much as turn his head to look at the Uchiha. He kept humming a tune to himself as he walked out of the hospital in bright spirits.

His appearance took Sasuke back to a recent report he got from Jun.

* * *

><p>The sun's final rays over the sky, faded as the bright orange hues gave way to the solid darkness of night. Strangely the moon in the sky shone brighter than ever, the stars dimmed by a heavy layer of clouds. The sky above shrouded the darkness of the night in a veil of crimson.<p>

Multiple shadows had gathered, all looking upon the dazzlingly sight above that set the night ablaze. The night seemed more deadly than it ever had under this new moon but they were not fearful, they embraced the night basking in its cold embrace as if in a trace.

Their leader had returned and to mark his arrival he created a series of unfortunate events in the city. While mainly one family would feel pain from his actions, he rejoiced knowing that the fires of hatred he felt for this city would soon spread. His long disappearance had not weakened his will but made it stronger. It gave him enough time to make amends with the people who forced him to make his escape. They were going to pay with their lives.

However to make his plans a reality, he needed a bountiful amount of resources that may take quite some time to assemble. But he feared not, he was not rash, even if his time on the earth was limited. He would rise again.

Haze didn't want to be here. She was surrounded by the creeps and lowlife villains of the night. The only reassurance she had was that she was hidden away in a near abandoned building, with a hawk's view of the situation.

Under her client's (Torturer's) orders, she was forced to delve deeper into the criminal underground than she would personally like. She followed a few leads and by complete coincidence she stumbled upon this gathering. The organization never remained in one hideout for long, so this was a lucky find. She hoped.

Out of the circle of thugs, a pale man with eyes similar to that of a snake's rolled in on a wheelchair. "As you know, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find help in this day and age, but you can all rejoice in knowing that I have found a new member to our little group. I hope you can all get along with him."

A man walked next to the snake man's wheelchair with a carefree expression. The man's appearance was nothing short of shady and creepy. His hair was partially hidden by his black fedora hat, but Haze could have seen black strands of hair poking from underneath. He had an ever-present smile with his eyes that were forever hidden beneath the hat. He wore a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath, short brown gloves, and brown steel-toed shoes. He donned a pair of black trousers held up by two brown belts.

"Kazama is what I'm called." He grinned. "I hope we can all get along."

"Now that we've all been introduced- Wait, where is Kabuto? How could he disappear at such an important time?" His yellow eyes scanned the crowd. "No matter. We will proceed without him. As I was saying-"

"Pardon me for the intrusion, but there is something that has been bothering me for the longest while and I'd like to point it out."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Seems like we have a fly on the wall. Flies do bother me so. Do you mind if I get rid of it?" He turned to his dark master with his smile never fading once.

"By all means, swap it as quickly as you can."

_Haze has a bad feeling about this…_

The man grinned before he broke into a mad dash, literally zipping in between the thugs making his way to the building Haze was spying from.

_Shit._

She broke away from the window sprinting towards the hallway, but it seemed like he had already planned for it. Two rather large men were coming from the corridors to her left and right. She immediately made a 180 degree turn rushing back to her window but as her luck would have it, she was no longer alone in that room.

"H-how did you get up here so quickly?" Haze immediately took a defensive stance.

No sooner had the man let herself into the house had he began attacking Haze. Haze barely had time to compose herself before the man launched his first strike. There was not much power behind the blow and Haze found herself instinctively moving to counterattack. A straight punch to the face was what she had in mind, but somehow she felt her arm being pushed down before another jab caught her in the side of the face.

"I did what any other person would do. I took the fire escape route."

"We're five stories up…" Haze muttered, taking a few steps back to regain her composure. "That's physically impossible."

"Not when you're me," He laughed softly. "I'm not sure of what you gain from your little visit here, but I hope it was well worth your life."

Haze was outnumbered so there was no hope of her winning this fight. So for now, she'd have to retreat. Her eyes scanned the room for the nearest window as she responded, "Sadly, it wasn't."

"That's too bad."

Haze immediately made ran towards the window, however a strange sensation that could only be known as déjà vu ran up and down her spin. On reflex alone, she rolled to the left evading a broken chair. But that still didn't save her from what the man threw next. Haze was shocked. From the blood that trickled down the large gash on her face, she judged that if she were even an inch to the right she wouldn't be breathing.

A knife flew passed her face lodging itself into the wall behind her.

In her momentary daze, the man rushed up to her slamming his forearm against her neck and smashing her into the wall. Strangely, Haze found herself unable to move. Her limbs had shut down on her.

"…what…did…you do to me…?"

The man didn't bother answering her. He slowly plucked the knife from the wall and shook it once to remove the blood that covered the blade. "The blade is covered with a poison that causes momentary paralysis. Rest assured while your nerves remain dead, you can feel every moment of pain that follows with my 'treatment'."

"…you asshole…"

This wasn't good. He blocked her breathing. He was going to bring 'that' out if he didn't stop soon.

"Now, let's see who's under that mask~" He sang, ripping the mask off her head. Haze was now close enough to see his face. His eyes were…closed. (Eyes like Gin from Bleach or Brock from Pokemon)

"Oh my, a woman. A beautiful one at that."

"…go to hell…"

"Not before I deal with you."

Just then, Kazama's smile fell before he released the press on Haze's body. He tried. He tried oh so hard not to, but he couldn't help himself. He instinctively gripped his stomach and let out a loud boisterous laugh. "You…you…"

"Shut up!"

"You're _getting off_ on this? This is priceless!"

Haze wasn't proud of many of her interests and hobbies, but she actually had some form of control over those. _This _wasn't something she could have controlled.

"I said shut up!" Haze gathered what remained of her strength and jabbed Kazama in the face with her foot before she grabbed the window ledge and pulled herself out through it.

Hazama recomposed himself as he inched towards the window, watching the masochistic woman pull of death defying spins and twirls on her way down the building. What amazed him was not how she miraculously got to the bottom safe and sound but the fact that she got down while under the effects of the poison.

"I think I'm in love."

Sasuke had to pay Jun a small 'visit' to her hideout to get that information out of her - especially the last part.

* * *

><p>And at that moment, that very man had crossed Sasuke's path not once but twice. <em>Damn! I actually allowed him inside of the hospital without stopping him! This wasn't good!<em> Before Sasuke could even call out to him, the man turned with a devious grin spread across his face.

"30 seconds."

Sasuke didn't hesitate. He broke into an awkward sprint back to Akina's hospital room. He ripped through the hallway at a breakneck pace ordering everyone in the building to get out but…he was too late. The last thing he remembered from that scene was the deafening sound and the immediate shock of being thrown to the wall by the force of the explosion.

When Sasuke regained consciousness, he immediately wished he hadn't. He screamed at the top his lungs from the shear rush of pain. It could have made the manliest of men teary eyed, crying for their mothers. His eyes opened wide, shocked by the strange phenomena that had happened to his arms.

_They're….broken…? No, just fractured. _

Sasuke's eyes glanced over the scorched scenery in search for his fallen comrades. The hospital was falling apart. He had to find them quickly. Bodies as far as his damaged eyes could see littered the ground. He hoped that none of them were people he knew.

When the ringing in his ears subsided, the cries of the patients who were still alive filled his ears, drowning out the sound of the collapsing building.

Along the way, he recognized three bodies - Suigetsu, Karin and even Jugo. He gritted his teeth so hard he felt like his gums were about to bleed as he forced his body upwards, ignoring the searing pain surging through his body.

_Goddammit! This…wasn't supposed to happen._

"Ren! Where are-" Suddenly blood spewed from his mouth splattering over the destroyed concrete floor "Gah…Ren! Where are you!"

"Sasuke-kun."

A familiar figure appeared amidst of the flames and destruction. His sinister grin grew wider with each passing second. Just looking at him was more unbearable than his physical injuries. He hated this man. No human word could describe his feelings of pure _resentment_ for this man. He ruined Sasuke's life. Hell he ruined everything he touched.

Sasuke had a personal vendetta against Tobi but _this guy_ was the embodiment of Sasuke's hatred.

"You bastard!" The boy spoke with nothing but hatred in his heart. "_I'll kill you. I swear to god I'll kill you!_"

The figure ignored Sasuke and grabbed him roughly hanging him by his neck "Any last words?"

"Fuck you!"

"Not very classy for someone's dying words." He spoke in his grimly cold voice. The man pulled out a large metal spear with a super heated tip in his free hand and he held it against Sasuke's stomach.

"All of this could be avoided if you join me."

Sasuke spat in his face.

"Humans are such prideful creatures. Not even willing to break face in front of those you cared for." Sasuke's face began to falter. This was entirely his fault. "Maybe this is why I enjoy toying with them."

"Pitiful," The man threw Sasuke into the air, grabbed the spear with both hands and thrust the spear forward.

This moment thrust Sasuke of his flashback, back into the harsh reality. There he was with the large spear that was headed towards his torso and him without energy to move a single muscle. Was this the end?

"No!" A feminine scream echoed throughout the destroyed hall. A small figure with onyx-black hair appeared next to the man and tackled him to the ground.

"Get away from me!" The man immediately backhanded the girl, but she wouldn't go down so easily. She latched onto his arm, struggling to get the spear out of his hand. Unfortunately, Ren was wounded from the explosion as well. There was a large amount of blood leaking down her forehead, as well as dark red spots that covered her outfit.

At that moment, Sasuke's weary eyes turned red and his head cleared up in an insistent. The man in front of him was not the man he loathed but his right hand man, Kabuto Yakushi. And that spear of his was none other than his trusty medical knife.

"Got it…" She muttered before she grabbed the knife out of his greasy mitts, but at that moment she lowered her guard. Kabuto used the opportunity to kick her off his body straight into the wall behind. That was it for her. She fell unconscious without question.

"Imprudent woman!"

Sasuke struggled to get up but his limbs wouldn't allow it. The large amount of blood he was losing wasn't helping either. All Sasuke needed to do was buy enough time. It was only a matter of minutes before 'he' showed up.

"So…you're the bastard who sent those punks after Ren and torched her house."

Kabuto shifted his gaze to Sasuke, fixing his glasses before he spoke. "I torched her house and planned to kill all of you here, yes but related to the punks I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Lying to me at this point serves no purpose." Sasuke fixed his body and rested against the wall.

"Why would I bother lying to a dead man? I'm sorry to have to tell you this Sasuke but it appears that I'm not the only one who wants you dead."

"No surprise there…" Sasuke chuckled. There were a long list of criminal men and women who wouldn't like anything more than to stick a knife in Sasuke's back. _This was ridiculous._

"This is my first and last attempt to rid my master of his obsession with you."

"So you're doing this against his orders…"

"A rare thing." Kabuto brushed the dust of his clothes, fixed his glasses and collected his knife.

"…from what I understand he doesn't want to kill. Why is that?"

"He is a complex man. One I've been able to understand for many years, but recently his actions and decisions can be thought of as-"

"Insane." Sasuke finished.

"Maybe so but he always had reason for his actions – an ulterior motive. However, his desire to return to this town serves him no merit! Rather it's only shortening his already weakening life force!" Kabuto fumed.

"I understand that he came back to this town to accomplish two things. One being to continue his war with Tobi and the second was to – Gah – take something that he lost." Sasuke's arms began to throb. It was only a matter of time before he blacked out.

"I suppose you can think that way."

"What does he want?"

"Not even I can answer that." Kabuto began to casually flip the blade in his hand. "But I can tell you this."

Sasuke felt a sharp immense pain radiating from his chest cavity. If not for the sudden rush of adrenaline that numbed the pain Sasuke would have easily gone out like a light. As a result he was able to keep his agonizing wail of pain down to a loud scream. Blood began to collate in his throat until found its exit out of his mouth. Sasuke gritted his teeth as hard as he could, reaching for the foreign object that entered his body.

"You're going to die here."

Sasuke didn't fear death. He knew it would come for him one day, but today was not that day. Although he was on verge of death, he would not yield – not until that man had been deemed dead.

"Heh...I don't plan on dying...until I see his cold dead body..." Sasuke huffed, gripped the handle of the blade ever so tightly. Thankfully, Kabuto's blade weren't extraordinarily large - for knives. Rather, they were medical scalpels. _Extremely sharp medical scalpels._ Sasuke needed to get them out as soon as possible. Who knew what he could have coated the blade with.

Sasuke roared loudly as he ripped the blade out of his chest. He didn't miss a beat. He immediately threw it back to Kabuto who effortlessly stepped to the side, dodging his attack. That was Sasuke's last hope of actually doing some damage on him. _Well...shit. _

The Uchiha could only glare as Kabuto casually walked up to him, pulling another knife from his medical bag. "Nice try Sasuke but unfortunately for you, you won't live to see that day."_  
><em>

Sasuke couldn't run, he couldn't even crawl away. He could barely move as it were. His body was failing him and it took all of his strength to just stay conscious. Kabuto's dark eyes hid behind the glint of his glasses as he drew nearer to him.

_Is this it? Is this where my chapter closes? Ended by my targets lackey. What a way to go. No! I can't let it end this way!_

"Now where should I start?" Kabuto spun the blade several times in the air. "That should be a good place." He grinned devilishly as he gripped the blade tightly. He raised his arm with full intention of striking, but at that moment, Kabuto found something extremely wrong. He couldn't move his arm.

Sasuke chuckled. "Isn't it just like you to come at the most crucial of moments."

Kabuto quickly turned behind him to find a being whose monstrous aura could only be rivaled by his master himself. "You-!"

"Me." The boy growled showing off his frazzled blonde hair and elongated canine teeth. But what truly frightened the agent were his eyes - a raging shade of violent orange.

Naruto let loose a primitive roar as he pulled Kabuto backwards and laid a beating on the man that could only be thought of as inhuman. His usual precise movements were replaced with erratic and animalistic agility. Kabuto had no time to recover, no time to defend. It wasn't a fight; it was complete and utter one-sided annihilation. Bones were broken, organs were crushed and his body was becoming more mangled by the second. The blonde simply had no mercy.

"Naruto that's enough!" Sasuke screamed at the top of his lungs. Naruto instinctively halted his assault, turning to the Uchiha with nothing but rage and hatred in his eyes.

"We need him alive! Do you understand me? Naruto!"

Naruto's hands trembled with anxiety – a need to utterly destroy his opponent – but under the Uchiha's gaze he managed to calm down (but only to the point of self-awareness). It wasn't long until Naruto's entire body began to visibly vibrate under the effects of his anger.

"…we need save as many people as we can. The hospital is only moments away from collapsing." Naruto was having a hard time keeping his cool. Naruto tossed Kabuto's seemingly lifeless body on the ground.

"We?" Sasuke huffed, pulling himself up against the wall for leverage. Naruto disappeared into Akina's room, and remerged with her on his shoulder. He walked over to Ren, placing her over his free shoulder before he made his way to Sasuke.

"Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba and the others are here. We all went out for Karaoke until we heard the explosion." Naruto pulled Sasuke to rest against his shoulder. "We already managed to get a few of the patients out. Your friends are helping too."

"I see…"

"What about him?" Naruto glared at the broken mess as they passed by.

"We'll collect him last. He's our best bet on finding him."

"…you won't let that go will you?"

"What do you think."

The building was falling apart quickly. It could have literally come down on them at any moment. With the speed they were moving, they would be lucky if they actually made it out without any further injuries from the bits of falling debris above them. Naruto couldn't walk the same path he came in from because it collapsed behind him while he ran to Sasuke's location. Sasuke's route was a no go either; the floor had collapsed.

No matter how many turns were taken, how many stairways they came across the results were always the same. The situation turned grim. A simple retrieval became a suicide mission.

Luckily, the two came across a hallway that seemed to lead to another wing of the hospital. The only problem with this one...was the heavy smell of iron that filled the air. Naruto clicked his teeth as hard as he could doing everything in his power to ignore the horrid view.

"_Shit."_

When the corner came around, all hopes of escaping the hospital seemed to vanish into thin air. Another dead end.

"_What the hell!_" Naruto fumed.

As if responding to his cries, there was a loud thunderous boom followed by an ear splitting cracking. The debris that once blocked their path fell to the floor below, giving them a sort of makeshift bridge to cross over. But this wasn't the end...

"Naruto, we need to move. _Now!_" Sasuke screamed, urging Naruto to move as quickly as possible.

The roof above began to crack above their heads. Naruto gripped the women's body tightly, as he sped up his walking. But they weren't out of danger just yet. After they crossed the fallen make-shift bridge, the floor seemed to crumble under their weight. Naruto did the best to get away from the opening floor but at the pace they were going it would catch up to them within seconds.

_I can't die here!_ Sasuke mentally screamed, limping as quickly as he could. His goal hadn't been accomplished! He hadn't destroyed that man! Dying here would be a waste of his entire existence! His death here would…

_Enough of this…_

"Take care of them." He whispered softly.

"What?"

Time slowed down for Naruto. Before he even had a chance to look back, Sasuke bent his neck slipping from under Naruto's hold. With his final spurt of energy, Sasuke kicked Naruto forward giving Naruto the extra wind needed to run out of the collapsing floor.

Sasuke always knew that Gaara was right about the type of guy Naruto was. He needed to live, while guys like Sasuke were better of forgotten in the dark. Naruto couldn't be allowed to die here. And neither could she. They bought had a life worth living. A life they made with both their hands. Sasuke couldn't take that away from them, especially when all of this was brought on by him.

If only he hadn't met the two, maybe their lives would have been better off. Ren would have learned to stand up for herself and Naruto wouldn't be branded with a curse for the rest of his life.

That's right. He made the right decision. Everything would have been better…if he didn't exist. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly accepting his departure from the living world.

"_SASUKE!"_

_And with that, complete and utter darkness closed in.  
><em>


	25. Partner

0~o~0

Partner

0~o~0

* * *

><p><em>Had my deary existence finally come to an end?<em>

Nothing else could explain his current predicament.

His body floated in a never-ending void of pure darkness; isolated from even a mere whisper of life. The cold embrace of nothingness wrap around his body - her touch slowly drained his body of feeling.

Faintly, the monotonous sound of dripping came to his ears followed by the cry of another human being.

_Who is there? _

His sudden curiosity rekindled his will, pulling him away from what felt like death's door for a moment longer. Color and life soon returned to his inanimate limbs as they began to move towards the voice. _Since I'm here might as well check the place out. _

Time held no place in the void _(that much was apparent)_ but he felt like his time was drawing near. He felt limited to what he could accomplish before Death would find him once more.

As he trudged through the ensnaring darkness, the world around him began to take shape and form. The scenery came together like an unfinished puzzle; with every piece fitting into place as he walked by.

The ground took form; shaping itself to resemble an ordinary city street near a dock. The pitch black lake water lapping onto the shore seemed all too familiar. Houses, skyscrapers and people soon came after giving birth to a new city. He cringed internally, wondering what all of this meant. Why was he here?

Soon enough, color began to materialize and meld with the background finally giving life to the scenery around him.

_Wait. I know this place._ _This is..._

Before he could make his conclusion a sole entity appeared beside him; drained of all emotion but yet more spirited than the others in this world.

The younger version of himself walked past him without a word nor a sound. He took no notice of his surroundings focusing solely on his own existence. At that age he cared about very little after all.

He was slightly taken aback but nonetheless his curiosity was growing stronger by the second. He felt as though his past was forcefully dragging him to where it wanted him to go. His past run, barreling through people who seemed to pay him no mind. Like a ghost, he was free to move as he pleased in this world.

_Strange. _

In the distance, he found a mansion that bore his family symbol on the front gates. This house could only be thought of as the Old Uchiha mansion.

This was his memory; but it would seem like he was only a spectator.

_This is where it all began._

* * *

><p>A young boy slept peacefully in his warm bed when a series of loud thuds and crashes from the floors below woke him up from his deep slumber. He rubbed his eyes quickly got up from his bed and made his way downstairs curious to what was going on.<p>

In that instance, a pungent smell filled the air; it was overbearing and thick. He could identify small darkened smears across the various floors as he went down. The smell had been coming from the smears - _but what was it? _ He made his way down the flight of stairs that was stained with the same liquid as the floor.

"Mother! Father! Itachi!" He shouted. No response, not even a groan.

_If only I'd known sooner…I could have done something…_

He continued through to the various rooms treading lightly on the dark smears in search of a leak somewhere. What he did find was large lumps in the center of every room. It was too dark to make any sense of what they were. Rather than focus on those, he continued to follow the sounds of the crashes that had not ceased ever since he woke up.

He came across a particular sight on his way to the front hall - his front door had been completely broken down. As he slowly descended down the stairs, he noticed that the smears almost completely covered the floors but strangely there were no accompanying lumps. Sasuke's heart instinctively jumped in his chest in the next instant when a ghastly shriek came from the main living area.

He recognized that shriek. "Mother!"

Without hesitation he rushed down barreling through the front area until he came across a shocking sight in the 1st floor hallway.

When the moon's luminescent light shined through the window, the boy's eyes were opened to the size of dinner plates, his mouth gaped wide open. The pungent smell of iron in the air, the dark smears on the walls and the mysterious lumps.

_They were the Corpses of the staff._

"Father…?"

He identified his father's pale figure under the window, covered in his own blood. His father's eyes were staring straight into his, lifeless and dilated. Not only his father, but several of his butlers and maid's bodies lay before him covered in bruises, cuts and blood.

The boy, shivering with fright, fell backwards trying his utmost best not to scream out in fear. That would have only alerted the killer to his position. He slowly regained control of his paralyzed limbs, walking slowly through the pool of blood to kneel besides the lifeless corpses which was once his family.

He shook his father's body in hopes that he would still be alive but to no avail – they were all dead.

His arms dropped into the sea of blood, silently staring at his slain family. He didn't move. He couldn't. The loss of his family was too much of an overwhelming feeling for him. He couldn't even cry out to morn for their deaths. A torrent of emotions flooded him to silence; confusion, anger, sorrow. He was suddenly wet, not from the blood but his own tears as it rained from his face down to her body.

_Get up. You have things to do._

He heard a soft chuckle coming from the other room followed by a strained groan. _Oh no he is still here…and he has mother! _

Sasuke slowly made his way to the main living room to finda tall man cloaked in a black trench coat grabbed his mother by the throat as he pinned her against the wall. Overtaken by anger the boy tried to rush in to save his mother, but from the corner of his eye, he noticed that his mother shot him a glare to remain where he was.

"Please, don't be as foolish as your husband. Reconsider our proposal." He hissed through his teeth.

"There is nothing to reconsider! You're mad!" She screamed, flailing about trying to break free from his grip.

"It's a shame how true human innovation and vision is often confused for madness!" The man relaxed his grip letting her fall to the floor. "Don't you see? This is evolution! All I want is to make you all a part of it."

"Your vision is corrupt and disgusting." She coughed, trying hard to get up but she soon fell back as the man kicked her squarely in the stomach.

"So far only a few of the families I've visited has agreed with me." The man pulled one of the chairs and casually sat down. "Those who didn't share my vision met with an unfortunate end. Sad really. They were great people who could have changed the world. It would truly be a shame for the Uchiha Clan's main branch to join them in their eternal rest because of your stubbornness."

"Someone is going to catch onto your plan sooner or later and when that time comes I'll be laughing at your failure and ultimately your demise." Mikoto chuckled.

"You can laugh all you want," the man withdrew his hidden blade and pointed it to Mikoto "while you turn and rot in your grave."

"_DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY MOTHER!"_

Sasuke screamed as threw a small vase at the assailant's head, distracting him long enough for Sasuke to rush to his mother's side and pull her away. Or so he wished. The man quickly smashed the vase with ease, getting up and blocking Sasuke from rescuing his mother. The man walked slowly towards Sasuke who in turn fell back to the floor whimpering and sobbing slightly.

"Get away from him!" Mikoto grabbed the man's leg in a feeble attempt to stop him. "Run Sasuke run!"

"Get off me woman!" He raised his foot and roughly stomped on her wrist. But no matter how hard he stomped Mikoto wouldn't let go. "Persistent aren't you?"

Mikoto quickly placed her elbow on the floor and used it as support as she twisted her body into a sweep kick that knocked the assailant off his feet. Mikoto ignored the searing pain in her hands and ran over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke I want you to find your brother and escape through the back. Make sure that none of them see you, okay?"

"But what about you!"

"There's no time-" Mikoto's eyes widened as a sting of blood began to trickle down her lip. Sasuke quickly whipped his head around, noticing the large knife that entered his mother's back. "Mother!"

"You're becoming a real pain lady." The assailant threw the knife from his downed position and casually got back up to his feet.

"Mother I'll get you outside-"

"Sasuke!" She shocked him as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "I believe I told you to find your brother! Listen to your mother and _GO_." Mikoto turned to the assailant with nothing but primal fury in her eyes. "I'll deal with him."

"But-"

"_Go!" _

She brought her hand to the knife, gripping it as tightly as she could before she ripped it out of her flesh. She spun the knife several times, spraying the blood along the floor before she pointed it to the man in black.

The assailant looked slightly taken aback. "…good lord woman. You won't die will you?"

"Not until I run this blade across your throat."

The man chuckled softly. He slowly shoved his hand into his coat, pulling out what would seem like a large revolver. "Game over."

"That's my line." A cool familiar voice spoke from across the room.

"Onii-chan!" Sasuke cried in joy. His brother had appeared from the darkness carrying a similar gun to what the assailant held. His brother always knew what to do. He could do anything. If anyone could save them it would be him!

_I feel nothing but shame from those words. I was so young and naïve then. Itachi is nothing like the man I thought he was…_

"Put the gun down and back away slowly." From the corner of the man's eye, he saw the revolver in the teenager's hands and didn't bother to turn to face him. Itachi walked up behind him and pointed directly behind his head.

"…what if I said no?"

"Then I'm afraid you'd have a bullet lodged between your brain and skull."

"It's a shame that it's come to this but…" the man raised his hand slowly.

"Don't move!"

The man ignored Itachi's command, pressing his finger against the collar of his jacket. "Torch it."

Suddenly - _CRASH! -_ the sound of the front door crashing down echoed through the building followed by the sound of metal objects hitting and rolling along the hard wooden floors.

"Metal…? _Mother, Sasuke get down!"_

But it was too late. A deafening explosion came from the front entrance, along with small embers and debris that was shot into the room. Mikoto and Sasuke were thrown to the walls since they were next to the hallway.

The man used the momentary confusion to slip passed Itachi's guard, pulling the gun to his face and tightly squeezing the trigger. But Itachi was too quick – he pulled away completely avoiding the bullet. Itachi's trigger finger squeezed tight and the gun fired. Unfortunately, the man pulled away fast enough for the bullet grazed his cheek and took part of his ear.

As the man groaned in pain, Mikoto got to her feet and charged in before the man had a chance to shoot again. The man noticed her advance and rolled away just in time for Mikoto to stab the wall (where his head had just been) behind him.

"Itachi take your brother and get out of her now!"

Itachi stood there –momentarily frozen- at what his mother was implying.

Mikoto noticed that the man was momentarily distracted by the flames that crawled at his feet. She quickly ripped the blade out of the wall and threw it at the man; slicing his hand and with that he dropped the gun. Before he had time to recover and pick up the firearm, Mikoto performed a spinning back kick that knocked him into the wall.

"What are you doing Itachi? Run!"

"No we can't! We have to help Mother!" Sasuke moved over to his brother and shook his body. "She's already winning and you have a gun! You can save everybody!"

Itachi stood there only for a moment before his eyes immediately turned into slits. He saw something that Sasuke was too busy to noticed.

"Itachi _I know you can see it!_ Just run!" Mikoto's final scream set his mind into action; he knew what he had to do.

Itachi gave a soft smile to his little brother who only looked at him in confusion. He softly placed his hands on Sasuke's neck and then with a strong vice-grip-like hold; Sasuke quickly began to lose consciousness.

"Onii-chan…? What are you…" Sasuke's small body went limp; tugging at consciousness. Itachi's face contorted with anger as he lugged his little brother over his shoulder. So long as he lived, Sasuke would never forgive him for the heinous and cowardly act he did next.

_He ran._

_Tch..._

Momentarily dazzed and drained, Sasuke's eyes opened once more during his brother's escape. It was this memory that had been locked away from his subconscious. In that split second, his eyes locked onto another person who appearing out of dining room with a dark grin plastered on his face. His yellow snake-like eyes would be forever burned into his dreams and nightmares; haunting him for the rest of his days.

With no more than a glance towards Sasuke's direction, he turned to the room where their mother had been.

_If only I'd remember those cold dead eyes sooner…no one would have had to suffer._

* * *

><p>Itachi along with his brother were the heirs of one of the world's most prestigious family – the Uchihas. Rather than wish for his brother to succeed as the heir, Itachi wanted his brother to live a life he wanted. <em>Or so he said. <em>

Itachi took it upon himself to run the affairs of the many Uchiha Enterprises. He appointed the various sects under the Uchiha name to the lesser branch heads as well as some of his most trusted friends. Despite this he had fully control of everything. He appointed Sasuke as the Co-owner of each of those sects with control that could rival his own. All except for the Police Department and access to their records. He was keeping Sasuke away from something but didn't seem to care either way.

_Damn straight I didn't. I had more important things to do. When I was old enough, I hacked those records anyway. _

And so, Sasuke had everything a child could ever want. He was waited on hand and foot. He was pampered and cared for every second of the day.

_Oh how I loathed it. _

He had been given all that a child could want but he was never given what he truly desired – to avenge his parents untimely demise.

He was given all the luxuries known to man, all the freedom a child could ever need but still he walked down the path that Itachi didn't want for him. He walked the path of law enforcement. He yearned to become a detective. Just like their father.

_It was the only way I could track down those murderers! At least I did something about their deaths! I'm not like Itachi! I won't just turn my back on their memory like he did! _

Itachi's pace suddenly slowed down until he came to a complete halt, letting his little brother down who was now fully awakened. Itachi then glanced over to him with his ever present poker-face. He must have scared himself. When Sasuke glanced over to him he clinged to his brother's back. It sickened him._  
><em>

_You're better off without someone like him!_

_That beloved older brother of yours, the who could do anything. He doesn't exist anymore! Not only is he a coward but some time after now he is going to become as corrupt as the people who took your family away from you! The disappointment is just going to keep building up until you just can't take it anymore! _

_He is going to make partnerships with the criminal who governs crime in the city of Konoha! He's going to become the thing that you've despised your entire life! Can somebody like that be forgiven? _

Sasuke kept looking at him like he was something to be pitied._  
><em>

_Don't look at me like that! How could I look up to someone like that?_ _He's not even going to apologize or talk about his actions!He is going to keep you in the dark until it eats you from the inside out!  
><em>

Just then the buildings and scenery around them began to collapse and morph around them. Itachi kept his cool even when Sasuke rushed off without him.

_Tell me! What am I supposed to think of you? Huh? Answer me!_

Itachi closed his eyes, lowered his head and faded into the void that appeared. He clicked his teeth before he chased after him, allowing the memory behind him to collapse and disappear.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sunlight spread across the large body of water casting a dazzling orange hue. The multi-colored shades of orange and red blended into one creating a calm intensity that resembled a small burning fire in the sky. The sight was breath-taking to say the least.<p>

A small boy found his way to the city lake, noticing a dark haired boy sitting on a large boulder near the riverbank. He noticed that the boy had small tears on the side of his eyes. He was crying?

_Please. I had something in my eye._

"What's _your_ problem?" Sasuke didn't answer.

"I've seen you in this exact same spot for days now. And I know you've seen me. I mean you glare at me every time I pass by."

_I thought if I ignored him long enough he'd just go away, but he was well…him. I couldn't help but glare at that face of his. I should have known better._

"What? Do you hurt your leg or something? Where does it hurt? What's your name? How did you get here?" He barraged him with a seemingly endless stream of questions.

Annoying…

"Does it hurt bad? I'm here by myself but I can go call someone to help. What do you think?"

Really annoying…

"Hey answer me before it gets worse!"

"_Would you just_ _shut the hell up_?"

"Hah?" The boy's face grew angry.

"_You heard me! Just stop talking and get the hell away from me!" _He raged but the boy didn't take too kindly to his reaction.

"What the _hell_ is your problem? I was _trying_ to be nice to you!"

"What is _your _problem? I didn't ask you to do that!"

"Is that how you treat people who worry about you?"

"I don't want to be pitied by some scruffy looking retard!"

"_What was that?" _The boy grabbed Sasuke by the shirt and threw him to the floor.

"That's it!"

"Bring it on!"

Without a moment to spare, Sasuke charged him in a violent tackle. Before he even knew what had happened, he was tumbling over the water onto the sandy shore into the water. When rolling came to a stop, Sasuke found himself pinning the tall boy to the ground – the water only inches from his nose.

Sasuke found that his cheek had become hot. The boy just punched him, knocking him into the water where the boy continued with a straight kick to his gut. Sasuke coughed shortly before he pushed the boy's leg aside, dodged his incoming punch and socked him straight in the face.

Sasuke was shocked. The boy didn't move he kept his face still ignoring the pain before he reeled his head back and slugged Sasuke in the face.

If he can do it, so can I! Sasuke kept his head still as he continued to push with his fist. The two glared at each other from the corner of their eyes, each refusing to give up.

The two continued their fight into the way hours of the night.

When they were done - both physical and mental exhausted - they washed up on shore too tired to even move a finger.

"So now that you've cleared your mind a bit…why don't you tell me why you were really crying?" The boy was the first to break the silence panting and heaving.

After all of that, he was still concerned about him? Was this his plan from the beginning? No. He couldn't be that smart. He looked so stupid.

_He is stupid, but his heart is always in the right place. And to answer your question, he did plan it. _

He definitely did just to earn a fight out of me. Or did he do it because he knew about the family I belonged to.

"You just want my money don't you?"

"_What?_ I'm trying to help and you think I want money?"

"I a_m _a son of the Uchiha Clan main branch."

"The what now?"

What? He doesn't know who we are?

"Listen, I don't know who the Chibi family is-"

"_Uchiha! U-C-H-I-H-A!" _Sasuke screamed into his ear.

"Ok, ok_! The Uchiha family._ I don't know who they are but you're a friend in need. And Jiraiya always says to help friends in need."

"Friend? Who said we were friends?"

The nerve of this guy.

_I know, right?_

"Well, uh, I don't know. 'Strangers are friends you just haven't met yet' by Jiraiya." He seemed fearful and nervous like he was trying to convince himself – not Sasuke – that it was true.

"…you father has a saying for everything doesn't he?"

"…actually, he kinda does. It's weird." He chuckled.

"You're the weird one…"

"I'm not weird!" The boy fumed but his face quickly turned sour. "And by the way, Jiraiya isn't my father. He's my godfather. My parents…aren't around anymore."

"Oh? My parents were murdered in front of me three years ago."

Naruto's eyes went wide and he momentarily choked on his on his own spit - wondering if the boy was mentally unstable for saying that so nonchalantly.

"Well I guess we are the same." The blonde sat down on the rock, cradling his legs with his arms. "My parent died in a car crash a few years ago. I mean it's not as dark as yours but I think that the pain of losing a loved one is all the same."

As soon as it began, the conversation seemed to die. Sasuke couldn't find the words to say to him after that. Not that he wanted to talk to him anyway. He's nonsense about human decency fell on deaf ears. Doing things out of the goodness in his heart? Something was definitely wrong with him. Though, Sasuke thought that he could relate to the boy since they suffered similar (slightly different) pains.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Sasuke glanced over to the boy.

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki."

"…Naruto? Your name is Naruto?" Sasuke began to snicker and it wasn't long until he burst out laughing.

"Hey! My name is not funny!"

"Yes it is!" Sasuke covered his mouth trying to stop himself. "Who would name their son after a ramen topping?"

"What's your name anyway?"

"Sasuke –snicker- Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well Sasuke a stupid name anyway!"

"Sasuke is a unique name that could only belong to someone as talented as me." Sasuke smirked, but then his face contorted with pain when Naruto hit him "Ow! What was that for?"

"My name is cool!"

"No it isn't! Ow! Quit it!

They began to fight again.

* * *

><p>He watched as the two fighters began to fade into the void and were quickly replaced by older versions of themselves walking along the beach. He looked to left and noticed that the 7 year old Sasuke stuck around to watch. He looked slightly puzzled. <em>This was 2 years after we met.<em>

The boy smiled as he continued watching._  
><em>

"So this girl, Sakura, how long has it been since you last saw her?" Sasuke asked, watching a few crabs scurry off into the ocean.

"I haven't seen her since I was seven." Naruto picked a random stone between the sand and juggled it in his hands.

"You've been carrying that locket ever since then?"

"Yep." Naruto reeled his hand back and let the rock loose, allowing it to skip over the lake's surface.

"I only have one question. What does that girl mean to you?" Sasuke turned to Naruto, staring directly into his crystal blue eyes. Naruto notched his head to Sasuke with a bittersweet expression before it grew into a small smile.

"She means the world to me."

Sasuke stared at him for what felt like hours before he groaned and turned back to his walk. "Gross. You sound like one of those hopeless romantics."

"I thought I sounded cool." Naruto hurried to catch up.

_Naruto was telling the truth. Even back then I had known about Naruto's…instability. He felt like no one in the world cared for him. He had a very thin connection to the world as it was. His promise with her and his belief in meeting up with her one day was all that really kept him going. That was, until he met Hiruzen Sarutobi later that year._

_But that was before I crushed his dream and his spirit with a small act of kindness. _

"I'm starting to take an interest in this girl. I'm tempted to find her myself."

"What? You can really do that?" Naruto rushed up to him, his eyes glimmering with hope.

"Of course. The Uchiha never fail to find their man, er, girl." Sasuke smirked. "But I'm only helping you on one condition!"

"I'll do anything! Anything! _Datte_-" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto's face fell.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just an old habit I'm trying to forget." Naruto forced a smile continuing with what he said. "But really, I'll do anything! So please!"

Sasuke shrugged it off as one of Naruto's weird quirks. "I want you to help me become a detective."

"Hah? How the heck am I supposed to do that?" Naruto raised his hands to the sky in frustration.

"I'll have you know that there are hundreds of unsolved crimes in this city. Don't you think that it's sad that so many people are suffering from the polices negligence?"

"I guess."

"This is where we come in. We will form a team of our own and start small. Solve cases that the police thought weren't worth their time and gradually move to bigger cases when our team grows."

"So we'll be like Heroes or something?" Naruto's eyes shone from excitement.

"You can call it whatever you like."

"_Yosh!_ I'm in!"

What luck! It almost seemed too convenient. Sakura Haruno had transferred out of the country town Hijoshi to the city of Konoha three years prior to Naruto's arrival. Sasuke found it ridiculous that the two missed each other on the sole fact that they lived on opposite sides of the city. He could track her down easily.

Now all that was left was the fated meeting between the two childhood friends.

_If only I had known. If only I had delved a bit further into Sakura's file; Naruto would have been spared from what happened next. _

* * *

><p>Naruto's excited face withered within an instant. His once joyous expression faded once he caught a hold of Sakura's disturbed deameanor. She clutched her books tightly to her chest, taking ever so slight steps away from him. She was cautious of him. <em>Why?<em>

"Excuse me…?" She repeated.

"It's _me, _Naruto_._ Sakura-chan…don't you remember?"

"I'm…sorry but I really don't know you."

"…what?" Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"Maybe you're mistaking me for someone else?"

"There's no way I'd do that!" Naruto said that louder than he had wanted. It only served to scare her more. "I'm sorry but…don't you remember… the lake. Don't you…the promise we made years ago?"

Sakura hesitantly shook her head from side to side and Naruto's heart sank.

"Ramen boy? It's the nickname you gave me…" Sakura shook her head.

"Ah! I thought his face looked familiar! It's that delinquent from downtown!" One of Sakura's friends commented.

"You mean the one who took down the train gang all by himself?" Another one added.

"Come on Sakura, before he causes more rumors to spread."

"Yeah I heard that kid was a no good delinquent~" Her other friend sang as they dragged her away from him.

Sasuke noticed that Sakura clutched her forehead as she repeated Naruto's name to herself. She was clearly in pain, but why would she? It was like her mind was rejecting the information she was being fed. Or maybe...

It wasn't until they were completely out of sight did Naruto begin to speak up.

"…no way…how could she just forget like that…?"

Naruto's desolate expression was something that Sasuke would never forget. It was the face of a man who had nothing left to live for.

"Maybe she was that sort of girl." Sasuke's expression changed drastically when Naruto placed a firm grip on his collar.

"Don't you dare say that about her!"

"Right…" Sasuke remarked as Naruto loosened his grip on him. Sasuke would have hit Naruto for ruining his new shirt, but he didn't. The sight of the slow tears running down his face stopped his fist cold.

"…I'm going home. I'll see you later at our usual place."

Sasuke could have stopped him. He _should_ have done something. But instead he decided that Naruto would have to overcome his personal demons on his own like he did. He made a small prayer in his heart that Naruto's depression would be gone soon. He was greatly needed in Sasuke's upcoming investigation.

However, Sasuke didn't see him the next day nor the next month for that matter. He heard nothing directly from his self proclaimed best friend for months. All he had were the rumors that spread over the city like a wildfire. Naruto's attitude after that day could only be considered as nothing but volatile - fights, gang violence, theft, suspension. His reputation was getting worse by the day.

_I wondered what the idiot was up to but I was swamped with cases that needed my immediate attention. If I had gone to meet Naruto, Hebi would have never formed and I would have lost trustworthy associates._

_Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo would have given into their own inner desires and walk a path of darkness if Sasuke had not intervened._

That was until one day, Naruto's rampage came to a complete halt. Although Rumors were still spreading, the truth was simple enough for Sasuke to find. He moved to an apartment complex where he seemed to get his act under control – self control and self repentance. _He met Sarutobi. _

* * *

><p>A lot had changed in the year Sasuke spent away from Naruto. After he was recruited by 'The White Snake' he found that his ideals and morals were slowly slipping away from him. He had slowly changed over time. The environment that was provided for him only nurtured his hatred and desire for revenge.<p>

_I asked myself 'When did I change?' on a daily basis. I was too caught up in my own desire to notice what was happening to me. By the time he came to me, it was too late. _

"Sasuke!" The hoarse angry voice that Sasuke remembered was as annoying as ever. The blonde quite literally appeared out of nowhere screaming in plain sight along a city street. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"…Naruto." Sasuke turned to him with his cold calculating eyes which only seemed to add to Naruto's already raging fury. Winter had already come, forcing Naruto wear an orange jacket that was much bigger than his size, along with thick black gloves and pants. Sasuke wore a dark-blue jacket, white gloves and matching black pants.

The red head, Karin, walked ahead of Sasuke ready to chew out the brat that dared to disrespect Sasuke. The pale skinned assassin on his right, Suigetsu, gripped his baseball case tighter ready to 'hit a home run'. Sasuke motioned them to stand down as he walked forward.

"But-!" Karin interjected.

"It's fine."

"Answer me Sasuke! I always thought that you were on the side of the justice that you always talked to me about. So why – goddammit - why are you on the side of the people we were trying to put away!"

There was little surprise about Naruto's sudden accusation. Sasuke hid it well. However, Naruto was right on all counts, but Sasuke had a plan when he joined the underworld; to take it down from the inside. Naruto knew of nothing and would then ruin his progress if he wasn't stopped now.

"Don't stick your neck where it doesn't belong Naruto."

"You think I could just let my best friend walk into the wrong path without doing something to stop him?"

"You don't understand anything Naruto!" Sasuke glared.

"Then make me understand! Why you would join people like them? Is it because of your dream?"

"What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore the Uchiha clans honor and destroy all those who conspired to the fall of the main branch. Whether my hands get dirty in the process or not is none of my concern."

"Oh my god, that was so cool Sasuke-kun!" The red head shrieked trying to grab a hold of Sasuke but he quickly evaded her.

"_Sasuke!" _

"_No Naruto! Nothing you say is going to change me. I'm going to kill every last one of those murderers! It's time to make your choice! Either kill me now and saved the lives of those murderers or join me and make them pay." _

Naruto froze solid. He didn't expect words like that to come through Sasuke's lips.

"If you aren't ready for either of them step aside. If you try to stop me again,_ I'll take you down." _

Sasuke slowly turned away and left his 'friend' behind.

_I should have never turned him away. If I had only known of what happened next. If only I had put some consideration to what He would have done, I could have saved him. _

The set of images that entered his mind in that instant could only be thought of as sickening and unpleasant. The chilling image of a howling blood-crazed blonde surrounded by bloody mangled bodies...

* * *

><p><em>AN: I changed Sasuke's flash back in chapter 19 to match this one. I also took care of a few problems with the earlier chapters. Fixed a few dramatic errors and holes in the plot._

_N.B: Also for future reference to readers. Ren is not Sakura nor is she taking her place in the story. Sakura's role is reduced to a minority since this is Sasuke's arc while another girl plays a bigger role. That's it. _

_Also I'd like if readers made an account when they review. I'd rather give my feedback personally.  
><em>


	26. Regret

_A/N: This is basically a continuation from Sasuke's blast from the past in the last chapter. They were originally one but I decided to cut them in two. I need to thank Animefangirl95 for bringing this up. Sorry if there was any confusion.  
><em>

* * *

><p>0~o~0<p>

Regret

0~o~0

* * *

><p>"What…?"<p>

Sasuke stumbled upon a horrifying sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It was a scene that the young Uchiha had come across many times by working with the White Snake, but this specific event was different. The victim this time was someone he knew. Deep within the White Snake's hideout, a familiar spiky-haired blonde was thrashing and throbbing on the ground; clutching his throat like he was mere moments from ripping it out.

"_What did you do to him_?"

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, you have perfect timing as usual. I found this little whelp snooping around the compound earlier today. He seemed to be looking for something…" The White Snake replied non-chalet sipping a glass of wine "…or someone."

_Me. _

"I'll ask only once more. _What the hell did you do to him?_"

"It's simple question which has a obviously simple answer, Sasuke-kun. I'm testing out my latest batch of the Hell Release on our little intruder."

"_Why would you do that to an innocent bystander?"_ Sasuke's face contorted in anger.

He was surprised Sasuke could ever get so angry over something so…_trivial_. The perfect Sasuke that he envisioned was crumbling away before him - all because of some random street urchin that wandered into his estate. Sasuke never showed an ounce of concern for his fellow pupils. Not even for the three that followed him on a daily basis. He was more or less preoccupied with 'handling' the information he could provide him with.

_Yeah, thanks to you, I was able to take down a few gangs along the way._

Who was this boy and why was Sasuke so attached to him?

"This boy was amazingly resilient. I'm almost ashamed to admit but he put up an amazing amount of resistance when he entered the estate. He quite easily put half the pupils here before he was finally put down. As I watched him fight, I honestly grew curious as to this boy's true abilities. Based on my observation I've understood that his true unlocked potential is actually quite limitless! The data received from this little experiment will be ground breaking! Isn't that astounding for a boy his age?"

"Naruto…"

Sasuke was frozen in place. He had watched this process countless times. Enough times to know that there was nothing he could do for his so called friend. Naruto was currently at the stage where he would either bare through the excruciating pain...or choose to take his own life.

"Gah…augh…ugh…gack…" Naruto made the oddest sounds as he continuously slammed his fist on the concrete floor. He could have only imagined what was on the blonde's mind when his gaze fell directly into Sasuke's impassive expression for a moment before he shut them close letting out a strained groan.

_He must have hated me._

_I hated me. _

Out of nowhere, his violent erratic thrashing came to a halt as he laid completely still – his large blue eyes wide open.

"Is he dead?" Karin asked nervously.

No matter how many times she saw this she could never get used to it. She was happy that Sasuke protected her (unfortunately Suigetsu as well) from the White snake a few months back. If it wasn't for him coming to their defense, she would have been that mess on the floor instead.

Just then, the blondes eyes turned ruby red for a split second before it just as quickly changed to a violent shade of orange. The once carefree expression that he was famous for became angry and manic. His slightly neat spiky hair became frazzled and his front canines grew slightly longer – becoming somewhat beast-like. Sasuke stared straight into the dark aura that was surrounding his friend. He was different; Sasuke could feel it. He pounded his fist on the ground – probably to establish control of his new body - then groggily got up randomly swinging his body from side to side.

Suddenly he let loose an estranged maniacal laughter that echoed through the estate. Those nearest to him instinctively took a step back.

_That would probably be for the best. Actually, just run._

"Restrain him would you?" The white snake ordered and his pupils obediently followed, immediately readying a wall of protection around the crazed blonde ready to _put him down_ if necessary.

"...my head hurts…there's a strange ringing…in my head." Naruto spoke with a childlike innocence. "It won't go away…no matter what…why won't it go away? **_Why?_**" A few pupils, a girl in particular, motioned back from his violent outburst. In that instance his eyes locked onto her as he grinned.

"I see…you're causing all of this…if I hurt you…it will stop for a while…but if kill you…it will go away forever…I see. _I just need to kill you_." Naruto's grin spread to the far corners of his cheek, turning his staggering body to the girl.

"What-"

With a burst of speed, Naruto was already in front of her faster than anyone could register. He reeled his arm back for a moment before he rammed his fist against the girl's chest. They could have sworn that they heard a cracking sound when he made impact. Naruto wasted no time, he held onto the girl's shirt as he repeatively smashed his forehead against hers. Despite the severe injury he was placing on himself he kept smashing his head into hers, even ignoring the fact that the girl had already long lost consciousness.

When her crumpled body fell against his, he seemingly lost interest as he easily tossed her limp bloody body to the side.

"Why…it still won't go away…it's getting louder…why it won't stop…_why why why why why why why __**why!**__" _Naruto clutched his head tightly screaming at the top of his lungs.

"_One isn't enough…I need more…more blood…more violence…more more more more!" _Naruto cackled loudly.

He rushed for the nearest pupil – luckily he wasn't as weak willed as the girl – who made an attempt to punch Naruto in the face. Naruto immediately made direct impact with the boy's fist with his own. The result was not what the boy expected. There was so much force behind the psycho's punch that he swore that his fingers, wrist and bones had cracked under his strength. Before he could scream out in pain, like one huge connecting movement; the psycho smashed his elbow against the boy's gut, grabbed his head, smashing him to the ground where he unleashed a barrage of brutal punches.

Before he could go any further, two pupils jumped into action restraining both his arms and head. Naruto roared loudly, breaking his arms free, smashing his elbow into one of the pupil's face as well as the other's stomach.

What was with this guy? They had been given the Heaven's release so why was he so much stronger than they were? It didn't make any sense!

While the pupil staggered back with his hands covering his face, Naruto turned around unleashing another round of brutal fists of fury that the boy had trouble defending. With the continuous strikes Naruto was applying to his gut, he wasn't surprised that he was coughing out what seemed like a bucket of blood. With his mouth still open, Naruto jammed his hand into the boy's mouth, pulling out the boy's tongue out. For a moment, everyone wondered what the small psychopath was up to. But then, it came to them.

"Wait Naruto stop!" Sasuke screamed but it was too late.

Naruto pulled the boy's head down by his tongue then did the unthinkable. He delivered a devastating knee to the boy's chin. Naruto finished up by grabbing the boy's head and smashing it into the concrete floor.

"He just made him bite his own tongue…" Karin covered her mouth in horror. The boy's muffled screams filled the room as he began to bleed profusely. Naruto grabbed his ears, unable to bear the boy's screaming. He smashed his foot on the boy's body and with that it went limp.

"…is he dead?" Before long, Naruto's eyes locked onto the red head with nothing but killing intent in his eyes. "Eek!" She squeaked, and Naruto rushed.

"That's far enough!" Suigetsu quickly stood in-between them pointing his sword on Naruto, but that didn't stop him by an inch. He just screamed as he charged for him. Incapable of speech at this point, huh?

"Don't kill him!" Sasuke ordered and the boy frowned. Nevertheless, Suigetsu swung his sword with such precision and force that not even the mad berserker could completely avoid his strikes. Chopping things was Suigetsu's life. So it was understandable that he got a little carried away. Even if he did kill the boy, no one would miss a murderer right? Sustaining minor injuries to his torso and arms the blonde was forced back to the defensive as he narrowly avoided the sword's deadly accuracy.

Suigetsu began to notice something. As he continued his advance on the berserker, it became surprisingly harder to land a blow on him. The longer he dragged this fight on, the less of a chance he would have for victory. The berserker's sudden grin activated Suigetsu's bodily warning system. After the blonde dodged one of his strikes, his arm whipped around his blade and made his way to Suigetsu's head. He was forced to dash backwards to avoid the berserker's strike. It wasn't long until Suigetsu was on the defensive.

"Just what is this guy…? Sasuke I'm sorry but I'm going to die if I don't put him down now!"

"What? No!"

Unhesitatingly, Suigetsu's strikes became quicker and more precise as he began to target Naruto's vitals. Despite this change in strategy, Naruto's offensive never dropped. He allowed Suigetsu's attacks to hit him. He was sacrificing his defense for even the smallest chance for Suigetsu's body. Just what was this kid?

All it took was one slip up; it was all over.

Suigetsu froze. His eyes widened beyond belief; not only him but everyone else in the room. "What…?"

"This child…" The White Snake muttered.

Naruto cackled maniacally as he held Suigetsu's blade in his bloody hands. Suigetsu couldn't believe his eyes. In the last second of his horizontal strike, the berserker's open palm collided with the blade immediately putting a stop to his attack. Suigetsu felt his blade strike the bone. Did his gloves save his hand from being sliced clean off?

No. It was Suigetsu's blunder. He mistakenly held back at the last second. Not only was that a chancy move that could have cost him his hand, but the amount of strength required to stop a blade at that speed was ridiculous.

Naruto held the blade tightly, charging for his opponent – slicing his hand in the process – as he slammed his open fist against Suigetsu's throat. Naruto quite literally ran with the swordsman until he smashed him against the wall, crushing the boy's throat in the process.

"You're killing him Naruto stop!" The Uchiha prince shouted but to no avail. Naruto kept chuckling to himself, seemingly in a trance as he increased the force to the boy's throat. Whatever was left of his friend was nowhere to be found.

"Shit!" Before Sasuke could charge off, the White Snake appeared out of nothing and grabbed his shoulder.

"Now you can't possibly believe that you could stop him?"

"Of course I can!"

"No Sasuke-kun. If you fight him, you're going to be killed or fatally injured. I can't allow you to do that."

Sasuke shrugged his arm off and immediately flew into action. Before Naruto could notice him, he lodged his knee deep into Naruto's back. Naruto didn't howl out in pain, rather he followed up by twisting his body planting a firm elbow in the space between Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke held his screams in with his hands as he held his face, but Naruto didn't let it end there. He rushed to Sasuke dropping Suigetsu's unconscious body to the ground.

He pulled his arm back during his sprint and let loose a powerful haymaker directed at Sasuke's gut. Sasuke gritted his teeth and closed his mouth tightly; he didn't want to taste his lunch a second time. Sasuke knocked his hand away in a small fit of rage and made a few jabs for Naruto's head. At first Naruto could only dodge a few, but as it dragged on Naruto avoided them all.

What was this?

Much like Suigetsu, Sasuke found himself on the defensive. Not much later, Naruto aimed a raging straight at Sasuke's face. Sasuke moved his body to dodge but Naruto quickly pulled his arm back, shifted his weight and delivered a punch to Sasuke's face. A feint?

Naruto's advance continued as he placed well timed punches, whilst beautifully avoiding Sasuke's, until Naruto got bored deciding to grab the Uchiha by his shirt collar and throw him across the room.

_Those were my moves…_Sasuke pieced together as he dragged against the concrete floor. _No wonder he was getting harder to hit. He analyzed our attack patterns and copied them that short amount of time whilst losing his humanity!_

_Is this the true power of the Hell Release?_

"Kabuto, would you be so kind as to restrain this pest problem?" The white snake's attitude was a cool as ever as he walked over to the downed Uchiha.

"Certainly sir." Kabuto bowed slightly before he opened his cell phone.

"You don't seem to be doing so well Sasuke-kun."

"…shut up…gah…"

"If you wanted, I could give you a power that would allow you to defeat this menace in a matter of seconds." He smiled snidely.

"No…I refuse…" Sasuke coughed.

"I'm sorry to say this but without it you have no hopes of defeating him. As you can see, all my subordinates including Kabuto are having some difficulty taking him down together."

He looked over to the berserker practically ripping through his subordinates with ease; bring them down with precise – yet animalistic- strikes. He seen a similar case to this with Jugo. However, Jugo's weakness was extremely apparent on first glance. Though this one blonde berserker was clearly small and weaker in terms of physical strength, he was smaller, quicker and ultimately more deadly.

"What do you say Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke didn't respond.

Kabuto had reached his limit within minutes. This child –no- this monster was impossible to kill let alone handle! His stamina levels and strength hadn't dropped in the last twenty minutes of combat with 10 of Kabuto's best men. Rather, the monsters skills and strength seemed to increase with a larger group. He was only going to get stronger and stronger. He had to be destroyed.

The bloodied monster cackled lightly, towering above his downed (possibly dead) elite. Not good…

"Step aside. I'll take care of him." Kabuto watched the small Uchiha walk forward, cracking his knuckles and his neck.

The Uchiha clicked his teeth feeling nothing but disappointment. The Heaven's Release that the White Snake spoke so highly of was barely any help to him. He didn't feel any different than before. All he got from the vile liquid was a slight numbing sensation in his body along with a massive skull splitting headache. Regardless of his condition, he believed he was the only one in the estate that could have stopped Naruto without killing him.

Sasuke's hands itched into his usual fighting position, but he made sure that he kept them in such a way that whatever direction Naruto came at him, he'd be ready. In the corner of the berserker's eye, he caught hold on the raven haired avenger.

And that was when everything went completely crazy.

Naruto ran at full speed towards Sasuke with widened eyes – like he had finally found what he had been looking for. _Which was true._ However impressed Sasuke was with the inhumane speed of his self-proclaimed friend, he had to put those thoughts aside as Naruto charged at him.

Watching him in that one short moment Sasuke realized just how big a gap there was between the two of them. Naruto was, at this moment, a monster. He moved from his form and prepared himself for the flurry of pin accurate blows and strikes that were coming his way. As skilled a fighter as he was, this battle was on a completely different level than anything he had ever been a part of before.

Fighting for his life was nothing like what Sasuke had expected. He did not entertain the thought that he would be able to keep himself calm and composed, but he did not expect his first thoughts and reactions to be those of panic either. He reached for the holster on his hip and began to draw his weapon. This was his key to victory.

Naruto kept his advance constant and relentless. Sasuke, even with his heightened abilities (?), was lagging behind. Every strike, every muscle, every cell in his body had been heightened yet why wasn't there much of a difference from his previous fight? Was there this much of a difference between Heaven and Hell?

This however did not falter the Uchiha even for a second.

"Not even the Heaven's Release could help him…" he heard Karin gasp.

"Just who do you think I am?" Sasuke replied as he lured Naruto in by avoiding his fist, and turned it into a brilliant counterstrike by slapping both his opened palms around Naruto's head. This disoriented the berserker long enough for Sasuke to apply blunt trauma to Naruto's chest with his fist.

"I knew you could do it!" The redhead shrieked.

Sasuke managed to thwart Naruto this time, but it sure as hell wasn't going to happen again. He knew this well. But Sasuke's plan wasn't to fight fire with fire but to fight fire with water.

_I can't believe I thought of that line…_

Anyway, Naruto was now gifted with the fighting abilities of the Gods while Sasuke was gifted with increased senses and intelligence (?). He was going to put it to good use.

Unfortunately, Naruto was either very lucky or more intelligent than Sasuke gave him credit for. He felt like sharp edge grazed his hand and his secret weapon fell to the ground. _His nails? _His elongated nails were as sharp as knives. The White Snake did mention that the Hell Release focused on your primal instincts and physical attributes; quite literally turning you into a killing machine.

Blood began to pour from the wound and Sasuke found he could not form a tight fist any longer. Even if he risked recovering his weapon, there was probably no way he would be able to grip it let alone use it on Naruto.

"Shit."

It was the oddest sensation he had ever experienced.

Sasuke was so overwhelmed by contradicting emotions in the next moment that he was surprised he was able to feel them all. He wasn't proud of many of his actions in the past but not once did he regret them. But now, his actions had indirectly lead to his and his self-proclaimed friend's downfall into darkness. The seeds of regret were sown deep into his heart.

There were so many thoughts, emotions, and memories flooding to the front of his consciousness that he did not even feel pain.

Not the slightest amount of discomfort even though he felt like his body could not be anymore bruised. He could feel the long trail of his own blood as it started to pool and trickle down his hand.

He watched impatiently as the berserkers fist began its slow decent towards his body. If he was going to hit him, why couldn't he speed it up? As his impatience mounted, so did Sasuke's anger. He was tempted to reach up there and just bring the fist down on himself if time would just get back to normal.

Irritation finally got the better of him and he reached for his attacker. Much to Sasuke's surprise, whatever seemed to be slowing the rest of the world down was not affecting him. His good fist plowed into the stomach of the berserker. Before the boy even had a chance to feel the pain, Sasuke swept the legs out from under him.

There was no time to think. Whatever this was - adrenaline, endorphins, Heaven's Release, whatever – this was his chance for a counter strike.

He punched the berserker as quickly as his body would allow. The first thing he was met with were the berserkers sluggish attempt to trip him with a leg sweep, but Sasuke saw this coming and dashed back. He moved between his claws and wild swings easily enough, but he knew something had to be done soon if they were all coming out of here alive.

Sasuke's eye glanced over to the bloody mess in the center of the room. _Well most of us._

When a decent enough opening presented itself, Sasuke pushed his fist down and rammed his head into Naruto's.

"Naruto I know you're in there!" Naruto responded with an enraged roar, reeling his head back for his continued assault. "Remember Sakura?"

Naruto's eyes flashed open for a minute, and this gave the Uchiha just enough time to parry his last blow and deliver a devastating combination of quick blows to his head, neck and chest before the berserker fully recovered.

Sooner than expected, the monsters movements became slow and sluggish – easy enough for Sasuke to dodge and counter. By the look in his eye, even the monster himself began to wonder what was wrong with his body.

"I did some research and figured why she didn't remember you."

Again, he gave a window of opportunity but he would not be so lucky this time around. The berserker had learned from his previous mistakes, he seemingly blocked the Uchiha's words out as he strengthened his guard. Even with this the Uchiha would occasionally break his guard while only suffering minor blows to the stomach and head.

But he couldn't let that stop him!

"She didn't forget you Naruto! Someone robbed her of her memories!"

That was it.

The beast came to grinding halt; all thought processes derailed. The beast paused; giving the Uchiha the exact results he needed. It was a good thing that Naruto had a one track mind or he would have noticed the 'weapons' on his thigh and in his hands; Syringes. Harmless injections that would have put even a raging bull out.

From the beginning Sasuke had these in his balled fist, slipping each needle in between each of his counterstrikes; each one slowing him down more and more. This was probably the sole reason why he was able to dodge any of the berserkers attacks. And now, it was finally time for the coup de grace.

Naruto kept his guard up but it wasn't enough time for him to block the syringe Sasuke slammed into his chest. In a fit of rage, the berserker smashed his fist into Sasuke's side knocking the holster away from him. Naruto charged haphazardly grabbing the Uchiha and knocking him to the ground, where the berserker grabbed a syringe on the floor and slammed it into his chest.

This was fine. Sasuke was well aware of the impacts the Heaven's Release would have on his body moments after its application. In all honesty, he rather be asleep during all of that.

Sound was beginning to reach his ears again and the world was returning to its normal speed. The berserker landed next to him with a thud and groan as his moments were coming to an end. With this, it was over.

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke caught a hold of the White Snake's goons beginning to close around them. Sasuke's final spurt of energy were put into his words.

"Don't you dare touch him! I decide what happens to that boy, got it?"

"Why are you so attached to this one?"

"It's…none of your…goddamn business."

Sasuke's migraine seemed to worsen and the pain in his body began to intensify. He felt like ripping his head off! Despite his pains, he knew that it would be over soon. It's the only reason he didn't scream out –rather- he began to huff and heave. The effects were more stressful on his body than he anticipated.

"Your body needs to rest now, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke could only shoot him glances at this point. The White Snake seemed to pick up well on his messages. "Alright, I won't harm him. I will observe him, however."

Rather than relax Sasuke's body seemed to tense up. His thoughts raced and he was gifted with increased brain activity in that one moment. A memory that was long forgotten by Sasuke resurfaced the moment a snide grin crawled up the White Snake's face.

Those eyes…no it can't be!

He was thrust back to the Uchiha mansion for a last moment's breath. Those piercing yellow eyes, that icy-pale skin, that snide grin were all parts of the last thing that he had seen that night.

The White Snake and _that person_ were one in the same. How could he forget such an important detail? How could he let this chance at revenge slip by him so easily?

"_You…" __  
><em>

"Hm?"

As he slipped into unconsciousness, the raven haired boy swore on his family grave that everyone who conspired against the Uchiha would die by his hands. This sole vow sent the Uchiha into a dark void that he never truly recovered from. But before he dragged them all down to hell, he needed power.

After that day, every fiber of his being was committed to gaining that power. He cultivated the necessary resources. He recruited the strongest personnel he could find. He waited. He planned. All that was missing was the right time to strike.

That man began a war with the Uchiha family that Sasuke had every intention of ending.

* * *

><p>He ran. He didn't look back - for what chased him through the dark corridors were more frightening and terrifying than any monster out of any story book.<p>

Every move he made, every step he took felt like a move in the wrong direction. In the back of his minds he could feel the dark entities that were chasing him growing closer.

Adrenaline poured into his system and their running broke into a sprint as he scurried across a city street. In that instance, the raven haired boy's spine tingled; he sensed the one of those dark shadows pulling closer to him with every step he took. He had to get out of there quick.

"There he is!" A man screamed.

The boy immediately hopped over the trash bins at the side of the street and slid into the alleyway only to ram into the white stone wall. He ignored the searing pain, groggily got to his feet and dashed deeper into the alleyway. His freedom was only inches from his grasp. Six, five, four, three…just then.

Someone grabbed his shirt and threw him back into the wall. It was two of _His_ prized test subjects, Jiroubou and Kidoumaru. Sasuke made an attempt to fight them off, but his wounds from his previous fight prevented that. So of course he was downed in a mere instant.

"Where do you think you're going?" The overweight man cackled.

"Yeah. You can't be planning on running after you destroyed our hideout and tried to kill our boss, now can you?" The thinner one asked, striking the boy in his stomach.

"I have nothing to say to either of you." The boy wiped the grit of his face, shooting both of His pawns with a look - a look not of anger, but defiance.

"That's a shame. If you don't say anything to defend yourself we might go overboard and kill you right here and now."

"Right." Sasuke coughed, pulling his body against the nearing wall. "I have no qualms about what's going to happen, however, I can't say the same about my friend over there."

The men immediately tensed up. They had thought that the boy was alone. They knew of him and his 'friend' well. The two had always been side by side, following the bidding of their master like the loyal dogs their master thought they were.

But on this night, they launched a full scale act on the White Snake's estate with the entity of the younger pupils. They weren't sure of the details since they were out on reconnaissance for their master but they were informed that it didn't end well for them. Their Master had been fatally injured during the war but they managed to defend themselves against the pupils with minor casualties. The pupils weren't faring any better, they were forced to make a retreat losing a few of their forces in the process.

Why did they over look that fact tonight of all nights?

Like a monster right out of a horror film the boy stood behind them, his facial features hidden in the darkness of the night; all except for one of his bright orange eyes that looked at them like they were his next prey. Evidently…they were.

"Knock yourself out." With Sasuke's approval, the boy's cracked grin shone even under the fall of darkness.

What happened to them afterwards…Sasuke rather not remember.

Moments later, under the harshness of the heavy rain, he along with his self-proclaimed best friend walked along side a dank ravine when the Uchiha's bitter anger got the better of him.

"Dammit Dammit Dammit! How could I have failed? Everything was perfect!" His fist made impact with the wall next to him.

"…is that all you can think about?" Naruto's deadpan voice seemed to match well with his heartless expression.

"All those months of doing his dirty work, all those months of planning, all of it gone to waste! All because I overlooked the White Snake using both of the drugs! How can you not expect me to mull over this?"

"…you bastard." Naruto's dispassionate expression betrayed his actions. He kept his expression remote while he grabbed Sasuke's shirt and slammed him into the wall.

"All those people that we recruited, all the people we had helped - most of them _DIED _tonight. And all you can think about is how your plan _FAILED? What the fuck is wrong with you?_"

"Let go of me Naruto!"

"_Not until you fucking understand what just happened!_" His face grew furious. "_Haku, Gaara, Sanae, Sora, Yamato, Yuuij, Ayame, Sai, Rei, Akio, Kirei, Raito, Saki-"_

"I get it!"

"_No you don't! If you did, you'd understand that your plan failing wasn't your biggest mistake!" _He moved his hand down and allowed Sasuke to slide down the wall.

As the Uchiha wallowed in what he thought defeat felt like, he looked up to his self-proclaimed friend. His crystal blue eyes shone through his despair, looking upon something that Sasuke couldn't. What made him so determined? What kept him from the cold icy claw of the abyss?

_What kept him sane was more annoying than persistence and more dangerous than any blade. Hope.  
><em>

"We can make a change in this city, however small it is." Naruto spoke up after minutes maybe hours of silence. "We may be monsters but it's our choice what we do with our curse."

"What are you saying?"

"I finally understand what my parents accomplished...what they were trying to teach me all those years ago." Naruto turned to Sasuke with a dauntless expression. "I'm going to save as many people as I can. Even with my abilities I can't do it alone. I need your help." Sasuke didn't respond.

"If you won't do it for me or yourself, do it for the people who fought alongside you today. Honor their memory by preventing anything like this from happening again."

"I'm not…"

"Think about it." Naruto stated as he made his way out of the ravine. The White Snake's goons should have been searching for them on the other end of the city by now. Now was as good a time as any to leave.

* * *

><p>He turned to his young self, who seemed like he was on the verge of tears. It was about time that Sasuke asked just who - or what - he was. If he was just a simple memory on rerun, he'd have disappeared a long time ago.<p>

"Are you my innocence?"

The boy shook his head from side to side.

"…are you death?"

The boy shook his head up and down; a small smile forming at his face.

"Are you going to drag me down?" Sasuke asked without any surprise in his tone.

The boy shook his head from side to side, his smile never once faltering, as he pointed behind Sasuke.

Sasuke watched a golden orb of light appear out of the nothingness. The orb mirrored the image of that of an average heighted man. It stretched its arm out to Sasuke, who in turn copied his actions for a brief moment. Sasuke then quickly gritted his teeth roughly, slapping the transcendent light's hand.

"I am better off dead. Everyone would live a better and happier life without me around." Sasuke turned away with his hands in his pockets, as he began to walk deeper into the void.

"Come on kid, we have to go." Sasuke urged the small boy, who looked back and forth between Sasuke and the light, at a loss of what to do. Though he couldn't talk, he pulled on Sasuke's shirt urging him to go back but he kept walking.

_This is my punishment._

"Stop being so stubborn for once." _His_ husky voice rang through Sasuke's eardrums as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"…out of all the people my brain could have come up with for the position. It just had to be you, huh?"

"You know you'd be lost without me." He chuckled. "It's what friends are for right?"

"Friends respect each other's decisions."

"That they do, but really, who do you think I am?"

Sasuke understood the true meaning behind those words. 'I don't care what you say. I'm doing it my way whether you like it or not.'

Sasuke groaned, turning around without another word catching a glimpse of several entities of light. His classmates, the Konoha Eleven (as they called themselves), Ren, Itachi (bastard) and…

He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Come on Sasuke. It's not your time yet, you still have things to do." The kind yet strict woman in black smiled.

"Mother…"

"You have to uphold the Uchiha name son. Don't let me down." The gruff yet caring man smirked.

"Father…"

"It's time to come home Sasuke." Ren came forward gently wrapping her hands around his arm, pulling him towards the light.

"What kind of cliché nonsense is this…" Sasuke muttered.

"Just go with it." Naruto grinned.

"I already said that your lives would be better without me around!"

"We don't know if that's true or not but even if it is I-_we_ want you around."

"You're all too damn selfish." Sasuke glared.

"We learn from the best." He retorted.

Sasuke took one finally glance back to the small boy whose smile hadn't dropped. Before he disappeared into the darkness, Sasuke muttered. "Guess I won't be seeing you anytime soon, kid."

And with that, the boy disappeared.

...

A burning light entered Sasuke's eye lids, waning and fluttering as the time rolled by. His eyes slowly opened, finding himself being crushed to death underneath the body of a small girl.

"You're heavy…"

Her head stirred for a moment, before it shot up looking at him with eyes full of tears and a smile he had never seen before. "Sasuke!"

* * *

><p><em><em>As Sasuke's Arc draws to a close, I'd like to hear what you guys think of it compared to the last. Feedback is always appreciated. <em>_

_A/N: If you've noticed, this entire story so far is based on what people think and see of Naruto as a person; never what he thinks of himself. It won't stay like this forever though. In the next arc, Naruto's Arc (Name pending), it will take everything from his point of view and reveal stories that I haven't mentioned yet - Gaara, Haku and Yuuji's more specifically. _


	27. Loose Ends

_0~o~0_

_Loose Ends_

_0~o~0_

* * *

><p>"Why is it that the first thing I see when I wake up is you…?" Sasuke clearly gave an intense glare of distain to the man in front of him.<p>

Itachi usually had a snide or witty response for Sasuke's clear attack on his self esteem but this time around his expression only grew more irate. Itachi was actually angry with him. That had not happened in years!

"What doing you think you're doing?"

"Clearly I'm in bed."

From the corner of his bed, Sasuke noticed that his foot was completely wrapped up in bandages. On an off glance, he saw that even his chest was the same. He was completely wrapped from head to toe.

"You know that's not what I meant." Itachi's unwelcoming expression, only served to surprise the boy even more. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Aren't siblings usually supposed to worry about each other's well being, being that I just woke up in a hospital bed, before they start the accusing and blaming?"

Itachi's resigned sigh spread through the room as he slinked back into his chair at the foot of Sasuke's bed. "You're right. How are you feeling?"

"For what it's worth I can't feel my body, my head feels like a drum set at a rock concert and my eye sight went down a peg…or is it that I'm just drowsy?" Sasuke shook his head, blinking his eyes for a few seconds before he scanned the room to find one more person in the corner of the room. There was really no surprise that he was there. The only true question was how the Uchiha escaped the collapsing building with only a few bruises and broken bones.

"Is that all?" Compared to his brother, the onyx haired girl next to him had the right expression when someone was sent to the hospital.

"The headache is a usual thing. The numbness is a problem but I suppose I'm fine. Why?" The headaches were usually brought on from overusing his 'gift'. That was manageable. Not being able to feel an inch of his body from the neck down? That could pose a problem.

The blonde to the back of the room wore an expression similar to that of Itachi's. That, however, was nothing new. He broke his silence with an exasperated sigh. "Doctors said they found a poisonous substance coursing through your blood. It was even a powerful hallucinogen to boot."

_Kabuto's blade._ He was known to fiddle around with noxious poisons and elixirs in his spare time. _That would explain the nonsense I just went through._

"Unless this is another hallucination, I'm fine."

"Another?" Ren tensed up.

"It's nothing. I rather not talk about it." Sasuke brought his hand to his head, reminding himself that he couldn't feel anything. "How many days has it been since the explosion? How did I even survive that?"

"It's been roughly a week." Ren answered.

"Believe it or not, but no one really knows; frankly no one really cares how you survived. They are just glad you weren't crushed under the debris." Naruto scoffed. Sasuke assumed the blonde was furious over what he did.

_Oh so it's fine when you do it but when I do you're ready to bite my head over it?_

Naruto shot him a defiant glare. _ Shaddap. _

"The rescue team said they found you in a small pocket of space, inches under the stacked debris bleeding half to death. Only moments after they got you out did the debris fall to where you were. It was a miracle." Ren yawned. Upon further inspection, Sasuke noticed the bags under her eyes. Was she that worried about him?

"I don't believe in miracles; cold hard facts are the only way to explain the events in life." Sasuke responded quickly.

"Nothing else could explain how the debris didn't crush you."

"Maybe it was a message from the big guy." Itachi was the last person he wanted to hear that from.

"Rather than worry about me, how are you and your mother?" He didn't want to talk about this anymore. He had a hunger for knowledge. He needed his questions to be answered. First was about his maids, second were about Taka and others.

"Me?" Ren pointed to herself. "I'm just a little shaken up from the explosion; a few cuts and bruises but otherwise I'm fine." Ren's slightly cheery mood seemed to drop rapidly; turning into a melancholic expression grew as she turned to the bed behind her. "I can't say the same about her though."

Sasuke had wondered who was in the bed next to his. In total there were three beds in the room; his, possibly Ren's and her mothers. This arrangement had to be Itachi's doing.

"Her condition hasn't changed at all."

"Ren's in more of a serious dilemma than she is letting on. Her mother's obviously in no condition to work and quite frankly neither is Ren. The fire department tried their best but their house was completely burnt down, rendering them both homeless for the time being. Even if Ren were allowed to work, her pay will barely be able to cover her mother's expenses let alone her own; food, school and if she manages a new apartment. That's if she finds and apartment owner that would allow a 16 year old to live alone."

"Why did the conversation suddenly turn to _me_? Sasuke's the one who almost died here!" She didn't like where this was going. "…I'll figure something out. I always do so don't worry about me."

"There is a large possibility that you will have to quit school and get a second job." Itachi added.

"That's…" Ren's face fell but quickly bounced back. "So what? It's not like I need school to make a living for myself right?"

"You're being stupid." Sasuke scoffed.

"Why are you always like that? Why can't you just be happy that I'm trying to do something on my own?"

"Because it serves no purpose and you're plainly being ignorant of what's in front of you."

"I swear to Kami-sama if you say that you're going to take care of all of this, I'm-"

"Oh so you do know how this is going to end. We don't need to talk about this anymore."

"You know, technically I am the owner of an apartment complex I could-" In an instant, Naruto buttoned his lip and looked away from both of the Uchiha brothers who both shot him an intense gaze.

"What were you saying Naruto-kun?" Unfortunately, she didn't see the glares.

"Never mind," Naruto scratched his head.

"Well if you want us to be more technical about it. I was planning on moving to new house after Sasuke was released from the hospital. Originally our current house was supposed to be a temporary one after we lost our last one but we couldn't be bothered to go out and look for a new one. I plan on hiring some new staff, but I find it difficult to hire trustworthy housekeepers who won't work just to pillage our fortune. Call me old fashion, but I like some things the way they are."

"The Uchiha have always treated their staff like family. So as far as I'm concerned, your already part of the family." Itachi put on one of his trademark smiles that usually had Ren agreeing to anything he said.

"No." She answered flatly.

_No way…_Itachi was shocked.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. They were going about this the wrong way.

"I can tell this is already inconveniencing you, but I'd like for you to understand that we need your services. In return, I'll offer you compensation. It's a small pay raise that would be enough to cover your school as well as your mother's hospital expenses."

"How is that small! Anyway, I already said no!"

"Just keep quiet. I've already told you that your input is almost close to 0 in these topics." Sasuke added.

"Nice." She glared.

Naruto scratched his head furiously unable to take it anymore. "Ren-chan," the blonde placed his hand on her slender shoulders.

"What these two are _trying_ to say is not that they want you around; they _need_ you. If you weren't around their days would be lonely, dark and dull. You must have noticed that there is nothing but negativity in that home. You and your mother are the only force that brightens that dark mood. Sasuke is a loner; without you around to tease he'd sink down to the pits of depression. Itachi would lose his best friend and you, who he practically thinks of as a sister."

"You and your mother aren't just 'house staff' to them. Both of you are part of the family. You think they'd just sit around when a member of their family is down on their luck? No! They want to make sure you and your mother are as happy as possible."

"They need you and your mother, got it?" Naruto smiled, leaving Ren flushed and unable to talk back. She glanced to the brothers; Sasuke who was speechlessly irate (with a vein on his forehead) and Itachi who looked away as if hiding his embarrassment. (He didn't blush)

"…if you put it like that, how can I say no?" Ren sighed.

"Naruto-kun, you need to teach me that skill." Itachi joked.

"It's not a skill per say, it's just I say what's on my mind."

"He's a romanticist, only he could warp your words that way." Sasuke was still pissy about what Naruto said. It wasn't like that at all. He just needed his play thing to be around when he needed it was all. Well whatever, now he need to know about everyone else.

"Ignoring your overly fancy explanation, you said at the incident that everyone was helping around. Are they in here as well?"

"Your team is at the 5th street Hospital. They were a little banged up but Tenten and Rock Lee managed to get them out before the hospital collapsed."

_Why were they at another hospital? Was this one full?_

"Speaking of which, have there been any other incidents with them while I was out?"

"No, everyone from school is fine." Naruto's expression grew morbid. "Everyone is a little shaken up from the number of people they couldn't save before the building came down."

"I see."

"Though, something strange has been going on with Sakura. Whenever she comes to school, she's exhausted and drained. She barely has any energy to talk to anyone let alone manage her school work. I don't know how but she still has the energy to help me with my daily chores around the house. If she's not doing that, she's either asleep or reading. Worst part is that she won't even talk to me about it!"

"She says she's fine and she isn't doing anything _too_ dangerous but still I can't help but worry!" As distressed as he was, Sasuke was sure it wasn't too serious. He already had an idea about what was going on, but he'd tell Naruto some other day.

Sasuke's mind trailed back to the attack on the hospital. Naruto's mention of his nurse-in-training girlfriend reminded him of someone who he had forgotten.

"What about four-eyes?"

"There was no evidence that he was even there. Gone without a trance."

How far would Kabuto sink to rid the world of him? What was it all for? His master's sick obsession with him?

"Alright, I'll be right back." Ren slowly got up from her chair, making sure not to aggravating her wounds as she slowly made her way to the hall in search of the bathroom.

In an instant, Itachi's carefree smile grew grim and stern.

"Now that that's cleared you can give me some answers Sasuke." Itachi's expression mimicked that of his usual Chief of Police faces. "I know what you've been up to as of late Sasuke."

"…what are you talking about?"

"I have been handed the entirety of information of your own personal investigations over the last few months. I know about Haze, Taka being reformed, the gang fights you've been in, and the various close calls you've been in including the one which put you in here."

Sasuke's eyes widened with shock for an instance but quickly returned to his usual impassiveness "…how did you know?"

"I'm sorry Sasuke but I'm putting an end to it right now."

"Naruto! Did you-?" Naruto's clueless expression cleared him of all suspicions - he seemed as surprised as Sasuke. He quickly changed his attention to the man "Who are you to-!"

"I am Itachi Uchiha, Chief of Police and the current Head of the Uchiha Clan. You, Sasuke Uchiha, are to be put under house arrest until further notice."

"You can't do that!"

"There is no arguing over this with me Sasuke." Itachi's anger seemed to rise as the time passed but not once did he break from his usual passive expression and cool tone.

"You're lucky enough as it is. You're alive. You're still breathing. Did you know how many men almost lost their lives trying to fish you out from that concrete prison? Do you know how worried your friends are about you? Are you going to waste this new blessed chance at life? And you want to _waste_ that chance to chase a ghost that's already on his last leg?"

"Do you really think I'm going to stop over trivial things li-!"

"Don't be so selfish!" Itachi raised his tone and Sasuke fell silent. "Sasuke, it's over. You're going to be stripped of all your privileges under the Uchiha name until I say otherwise. You're going to be put under surveillance 24/7 so you don't try any other stunts that could put your life into anymore danger."

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry about this but the same goes for you and your friends. I need to make sure that no one else in this city falls under my watch." Naruto totally saw that one coming. He guessed he owed it to Itachi to play along. He was the only reason he wasn't arrested for his 'wild' actions throughout the years. Itachi understood his situation and let a few things slide. But this however came with a price. But that was a story for another day.

After all, he guessed it wouldn't be that bad. At least everyone would be protected from harm.

As soon as Itachi got up, Sasuke began shouting "You god damn hypocrite! I don't want to hear that bullshit coming from you! You-"

Itachi interrupted Sasuke on his way out of the door. "_Sasuke._ We already lost both our parents. I don't want to lose the only true family I have left." Itachi said calmly. "It doesn't matter what you or anyone else thinks of me. Everything I do now is for the sake of the city."

And with that he left, leaving Sasuke with bitter resentment and self-loathing. No sooner had he left that Ren entered through the door. She immediately noticed the heavy mood.

"…what's going on?"

_~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~_

Later that afternoon things were unusually quiet. Naruto had gone home to sulk about his girlfriend and Ren was quietly asleep next to her mother's bed. Sasuke drowned himself in whatever the T.V showed him at the moment until he heard a slow knocking at the door.

"Enter."

A small girl entered the room, bowing her short brown head slowly "Sorry for disturbing you."

"Matsuri. I've been waiting for you." Sasuke lowered the volume on the T.V. "I understand that you have something for me?"

"Um, yes, I do!" She replied as if she had completely forgotten about it. "Gaara-sama told me to give you this letter along with this flash drive. He didn't really tell me why, but he said 'That if you want to stop him, you'll have to act quickly."

"I see." Sasuke accepted the items and closed his eyes for a short moment. "I trust that you didn't let the guards see these?"

"No I hid them in my pockets."

"Alrightthen. Thank you and Gaara for your assistance."

With a short bow, the small girl turned to the Uchiha once more, making sure to keep her voice down to a mere whisper "Um, Mr. Uchiha."

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure what you and Gaara-sama are up to but I can already guess that it has something to do with your past. I know it probably won't mean much to you but you should be careful." Matsuri felt her cheeks color slightly from the Uchiha's long gaze.

"I'll try."

Her face managed a small smile before she disappeared through the door. For a girl to be worried about a guy like Sasuke; he was starting to see why Gaara was so taken with her.

He looked over the letter several times – each time formulating better and clearer strategies and plans. He finally had the information he needed; all he needed now was for his wounds to heal. And then…finally…he could begin his lifelong mission to take down the White Snake.

"Sorry Itachi, I can't afford to be stopped. Not now, not ever."

In the corner of the room, the girl who pretended to be asleep ever since the girl entered the room questioned what all of this even meant.

* * *

><p>A lone figure strode silently through the brightly lit city streets. The figure whistled a small melodic tune all while enjoying the calm cool winter breeze. This was all as if the person hadn't the smallest care in the world.<p>

The locals of the area stared at the mysterious man suspiciously as he passed by. Ignoring the glares and made his way over to a small bar. Once he entered he felt popular for what felt like the first time in ages. Everyone went silent; the waitresses stopped in surprise, the band who were up on the stage stopped playing. The other patrons who were enjoy their drinks all stopped and stared. He ignored their gazes and walked up to the barkeep, taking his seat.

"Two large glasses of ice cold water please," the man asked politely "And keep them coming."

The barkeep nodded and grabbed two large glasses and poured water from the fridge as well as added the requested ice.

His enclosed eyes flickered to his back where a few men were closing up on him. He seemed to have caught the attention of a few of the rowdier people in the bar. They began to surround him.

"I don't want any trouble. I just came to look for my buddy Yamato Kouhei." Surprisingly, the man spoke with cheer despite his predicament.

"There has been a rumor about some shady poorly-dressed freak who found his way into our city and you know what?" One of the barbarians sneered.

"What?" He humored the barbarian.

"You fit his description perfectly. Sorry but we don't take too kindly to freaks!" He grabbed the mysterious man's shoulder and forcibly turned him around. He sudden found that two things were all kinds of wrong. For one, he noticed that he was unable to move to his body and the other was that the man had a knife pressed firmly against his chest.

"What the-?" The man collapsed indefinitely.

"Keep the change," The man threw a few coins at the bartender "I know you're here Kouhei-kun~" He sang, trampling on the man at his feet.

"Come on out before I have to get physical~"

"I'm here! I'm here, okay?" A boy screamed from the back of the bar.

"You know better than to hide from me, _Kouhei-kun._"

"I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Kouhei walked up to the man but instinctively kept his distance from the psycho.

"I'm not going to mince words with you, Kouhei-kun since I'm on a tight schedule tonight." The man casually twirled his tiny knife on the countertop, never once breaking from the boy in front of him. "It wasn't a hard job was it? All you had to do was rape a defenseless girl."

"I know, but-"

"I even gave you instructions for that. Pin her down, rob her of her own will then make her bend to yours. If she was resistant, it wouldn't be wrong to beat her to a pulp. Then when she's broken, you lay your seed. Simplicity incarnate, right?"

Kouhei audibly gulped. This guy was insane. He was openly talking (_and going into detail!)_ about raping a girl in bar. To make matters worse all eyes were on them.

"After you were done you were supposed to deliver a message to the Uchiha but you couldn't even do that."

"But I didn't expect the Uchiha bitch to find us! I did everything I could! I locked the school, I made sure the teachers were busy, I-"

"Excuses aren't becoming of the 'Merciless bastard' image you often give off, _Kouhei-kun_-"

"I think its better that the two of you lea-" The bartender interrupted, but soon he found himself unable to speak. His voice wouldn't come out no matter how much he tried. It was then, and only then did he find that his neck had been slit.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm speaking." The man kept his voice calm, reeling his hand back to wipe the blood of his blade on a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. "Now, as I was saying-"

"What the fuck man?" More barbarians stood up to join their friends.

"Seems like your primitive minds can't understand simple instructions when given." The man sighed, tipping his hat forward to hide his expression for a moment. "Fine, I'll show you monkeys just how barbaric you really are."

The man raised his hat, finally revealing his blood red eyes that quickly turned golden-yellow.

_~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~_

A black luxury Mercedes SLS AMG tore through the streets of Konoha barely keeping under the speed limit. Itachi pushed his machine to the limit, ripping through intersections and speeding through open ways to the scene. He had to get there as quickly as possible, but despite his efforts when he got to the bar, it was already too late.

The thick sour smell of iron filled the building when he entered. He immediately placed his handkerchief to his face and ordered his men to be careful as they followed.

Upon first glance, Itachi found that many of the bodies on the floor were killed by the same person; judging by the lacerations that covered each and every one of their bodies. Based on his observations by the bullet holes on the wall, there was an ensuing gunfight but the murderer came out on top in the end without suffering without any bodily harm.

_There was no blood leading out of the building._

Whoever this murderer was, he was anything but ordinary.

"Chief! Someone's alive over here!"

Itachi quickly made his way to police officer to find a boy, no older than Sasuke cradled in the corner, hunched over hugging his legs as rocked back and forth.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Itachi asked calmly but the boy wouldn't respond. He wouldn't even focus on the Uchiha.

Itachi held the boy's chin in place and forced the boy to focus on his face. "Who did this to you?" He asked, but rather the voice out his answer the boy could only mouth out a few words. After a few minutes, Itachi finally understood the message the boy tried to say.

_I'm coming for you Uchiha. _

* * *

><p><em>AN: Is Sasuke wasting his chance at a fresh new chance at life? That's up to you to decide. Also the enemies our heroes have to face seem to be growing. But for the next chapter, I thought I'd take a break with all the action and go for something a bit more simple.  
><em>


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